The Black Meteors of Ghana are a step away from playing in the finals rounds of the 2023 U-23 African Cup of Nations following their 2-1 victory over Mozambique counterparts at the Estadio Nacional do Zimpeto in Maputo on Sunday afternoon.
Ibrahim Tanko paraded a tough starting lineup including Hearts of Oak duo Suraj Seidu and Afriyie Barnie, with Asante Kotoko's Danlad Ibrahim in post.
The first half ended in a goalless draw as efforts from both sides to break the deadlocks proved futile.
Accra Hearts of Oak forward, Daniel Afriyie Barnie finally shot the visitors ahead in the 63rd minute.
The pacy attacker doubled the lead in the 76th minute when a Ghanaian player was brought down in the box.
The skipper stepped up and slot in beautifully his second of the day to hand the Black Meteors a huge advantage.
Mozambique pulled one back in the 88th minute from a rebound with the hope of getting the equalizer but time was far behind.
The game ended in a 2-1 win for the Ghanaian side.
Mozambique will travel to Ghana to take on the Black Meteors on October 30 for the return leg at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Black Meteors will be looking forward to avoiding a defeat to play the winner of the match between Algeria and DR Congo to seal a ticket for the fourth edition of the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in June 2023 in Morocco.
