Africa: Ghana qualifies with Odoi
After Ghana, Senegal qualified for the final phase of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They had to resort to a penalty shootout (3-1) to eliminate Egypt. After 120 minutes, the two teams had not managed to decide between themselves since the Pharaohs had won the first leg 1-0 in Cairo and the Teranga Lions won by the same score on Tuesday in their new Abdoulaye-Wade stadium in Diamniadio inaugurated on February 22 (50,000 seats). The Teranga Lions could not have hoped for a better start since on a free kick from Idrissa Gueye badly repelled by the Egyptian defense, the ball landed in the feet of Boulaye Dia, who scored his second goal for the national team (3rd, 1-0). The Senegalese did try to continue on the same dynamic, but they gradually fell into the false rhythm imposed by the Pharaohs, who were content to defend. Mohamed El Shenawy, the Egyptian goalkeeper, was only really alerted to a powerful shot from twenty meters from Idrissa Gueye (28th).
After the break, the Egyptians projected themselves more into the opposing area and Édouard Mendy was called upon to strike from a tight angle from the ex-Anderlechtois Trézéguet (62nd). The Senegalese goalkeeper was still hot on a powerful shot from Zizo (68th), who we knew at Lierse from 2013 to 2017. However, the Egyptians curled up in their camp as regulation time wore down. was flowing.
The first extra time was dominated by the Senegalese, but El Shenawy captured a header from Ismaïla Sarr (91st) and repelled that of Abou Cissé (94th). The Egyptian goalkeeper was also happy to see that Ismaila Sarr did not put a ball in the back when there was a wide open space at the near post (95th). After the change of camp, Senegal settled in the Egyptian camp, but their game remained rough and the qualification was decided on penalties. .
The Senegalese proved to be a little more effective: after two misses by Kalidou Koulibaly and Saliou Ciss, they scored the next three with Sadio Mané as the last taker. In the other camp, his team-mate in Liverpool, Mohammed Salah, had missed his.
Ghana with Denis Odoi for 90 minutes qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar at the expense of Nigeria thanks to the away goal rule. After the 0-0 first leg in Kumasi, the Black Stars tied the game 1-1 at the National Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. In the other match played simultaneously, Senegal and Egypt went to extra time as the Pharaohs won 1-0 in Cairo and the Teranga Lions led 1-0 after 90 minutes in the second leg. . As they pushed the Super Eagles, were surprised by a well-placed strike from Thomas Partey, which stunned Francis Uzoho (11th, 0-1). The Nigerians reacted immediately and chained actions without surprising Joseph Wollacott. The Ghanaian goalkeeper had a firm hand several times, but he could not counter the penalty awarded after viewing the images for a foul by Odoi on Ademola Lookman and transformed by William Troost-Ekong (22nd, 1-1). At that time, Ghana had virtually qualified due to the away goal rule.
The second half also got off to a good start. Nigeria approached the opposing goal more often, but the strike from Joe Aribo (52nd) and the header from the former Club Brugge player Emmanuel Dennis (55th) did not shake the opposing goalkeeper. The Super Eagles kept pushing, but they came up against increasingly defensive Black Stars.
