Poetic justice? As Libya lifts CHAN

 Libya’s fairytale success at this year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) may have come as a major surprise for many, particlarly after defeating favourites Ghana 4-3 via the lottery of penalties after a scoreless 90 minutes and extra time.

But for the players, officials and supporters who celebrated their maiden continental success at the Cape Town Stadium and the Libyan nationals who revelled throughout the night back home, their triumph was seen as poetic justice, more than three decades after Ghana denied them a similar honour on home soil.

Somehow, last Saturday’s final bore semblance of the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations final which gave Ghana her fourth continental title under similar circumstances. 

Host Libya held Emmanuel Quarshie-led Black Stars to a 2-2 draw at the group stage but the two teams squared off in the final at the June 11 Stadium in Tripoli where Ghana ran away 7-6 victorious after a nail-biting penalty shootout, having drawn 1-1 in regulation time. 

By a twist of fate, Ghana and Libya played a 1-1 drawn game in their Group C encounter at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein two weeks ago before the two sides took different paths to last Sunday’s final in Cape Town.

In Ghana’s last Nations Cup victory 32 years ago, goalkeeper Owusu Mensah made some heroic saves as legendary Charles Kumi Gyamfi’s side silenced the home side. 

However, last Sunday it was the heroic saves of Libyan goalkeeper Mohamed Abdaula which stopped Maxwell Konadu’s side in their tracks after wasting three kicks. 

Just as his opposite number Stephen Adams (who was the only goalie who did not concede a goal during open play throughout the tournament), goalkeeper Abdaula also saved two kicks to send the shootout into a tie-break after five kicks. 

The home-based Black Stars demonstrated impressive calmness during their semi-final victory over archrivals Nigeria via another shootout. But when it mattered most, Joshua Tijani missed the decisive kick after Ahmed El Trbi had scored Libya's sixth kick, making the Mediterranean Knights the third champions of the tournament reserved for home-based players from around the continent, joining Democratic Republic of Congo who won the inaugural edition in 2009 and Tunisia two years later.

Having showed a strong character to win a bruising semi-final clash against pre-tournament favourites Nigeria, the Ghanaians were installed favourites against their opponents who, apart from their opening game victory over Ethiopia, had drawn all their subsequent matches but rode on effective penalty shootouts to progress through the knockout stage to the final.

There was not much to choose between the two sides during two hours of pulsating exchanges at the stadium which had FIFA President Sepp Blatter, African football chief, Issa Hayatou, and Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, among the dignitaries at the VIP box.

A fast-paced start raised expectations of an energetic clash, but play slowed after the first 15 minutes and failed to recover, with clear scoring opportunities few and far between for both sides. 

The match ended goalless after extra time just as the two semi-final matches, sending the game into a shootout.

Despite losing the CHAN final for the second time since 2009, there was a lot of positives for Coach Konadu as three of his players — Joshua Tijani, Jordan Opoku and Seidu Bansey — made the tournament’s all-star team. 

Goalkeeper Stephen Adams, midfielder Yahaya Mohammed and Abeiko Ainooson were named among the substitutes team.

Stars: Stephen Adams, Godfred Saka,Tijani Joshua, Nuru Sulley, Abeiku Ainooson, Michael Akuffo, Asiedu Attobrah, Jordan Opoku/Jackson Owusu, Seidu Bancey, Sulley Mohammed/ Yahaya Mohammed, Theophilus Anobaah/Latif Mohammed.

Penalty scorers: Asiedu Attobrah, Godfred Saka, Jackson Owusu.

Misses: Michael Akuffo, Abeiku Ainooson, Joshua Tijani