Sports
In-form Meteors take on Congo …as AFCON Under-23 roars off
• Barnieh – Meteors’ skipper
Ghana’s quest to qualify for the Paris Olympics Games football event begins with a crunch tie against Congo Brazzaville at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, tomorrow evening.
Represented by the Black Meteors, the Ghanaians have failed to qualify for the Olympics since their last appearance in Athens 2004.
Their determination to make it this time around has seen them put up pieces of spectacular performances throughout their qualifying campaign, eliminating Algeria in their final game.
Led by Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, the Meteors have demonstrated stupendous form heading into the African Under-23 Nations Cup tournament that roars off in Morocco today with the host nation taking on Guinea.
The Meteors are housed in Group A together with the hosts for the two-week competition.
During their pre-tournament friendlies whilst they were camped in Egypt, the Ghanaians held their Egyptian counterparts to a pulsating 1-1 game before hammering Egyptian club side – Zamalek 4-1 on Tuesday – with Emmanuel Yeboah cracking a hat-trick.
Indeed, the Meteors have been tipped by experts of the continental game to go all the way to the final.
The 2023 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations will be the 4th edition of the quadrennial African football tournament and it is the second time Morocco is hosting the biennial event, having compered the inaugural hosts back in 2011.
The finalists and third-place play-off winner of this tournament will qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic men’s football tournament in Paris, while the 4th-placed team will play the AFC–CAF play-off to decide the final slot at the Olympics.
Egypt, the defending champions are housed in Group B with Mali, Gabon and Niger.
Meteors will then take on hosts Morocco in the second Group A game at the same venue. Ghana’s final group game will be against Guinea at the Grand Stade de Tanger.
It is the expectation of Ghanaians that the Meteors will make the grand final date on July 8, next month.
Two best teams from Group A and B will advance to the semi-finals stage of the competition.
BY SPECTATOR SPORTS REPORTER