Substitute Emmanuel Yeboah scored a brace as Ghana edged Congo 3-2 in their Group A opener of the 2023 U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday.
Yeboah’s brace came after Ernest Nuamah gave the Black Meteors the lead early in the second half at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Congo then scored twice in stoppage time to end the game in a dramatic fashion in the five-goal thriller.
The Black Meteors controlled the early proceedings, with Fatawu Issahaku and Ernest Nuamah particular causing problems down the flanks.
Nuamah made two decent cutbacks inside the first 15 minutes from the left but there was no one to connect on both occasions.
Congo got their first clear chance of the game in the 38th minute but the resultant shot was not strong enough, with Ibrahim Danlad picking it up without much trouble.
The first half ended goalless, with debuting Congo much organised toward the end of the half.
After recess, Ibrahim Tanko yanked off captain Daniel Afriyie and brought on Emmanuel Yeboah while Ibrahim Hafiz took the place of Sylvester Simba.
Ernest Nuamah broke the deadlock four minutes into the second half with a tap in from Emmanuel Yeboah’s low cross.
It was the result of a fabulous break down the right, with the Nordsjaelland man picking the right position to slot in.
The crossbar denied Abdul Fatawu Issahaku a trademark goal from his own half in the 64th minute when Congo committed too much in search of the equaliser.
Substitute Emmanuel Yeboah doubled the lead for the Black Meteors with a terrific finish in the 75th minute.
The Cluj forward brought down a Terry Yegbe long pass from the air before smartly putting it past Dhody Foutou.
Yeboah bagged his brace eight minutes later from a retaken penalty. Edmund Arkoh-Mensah had missed twice before the taker was changed after the goalkeeper came off the line on both occasions.
There was a dramatic finish to the game as Congo scored twice in two minutes.
Reich Kokolo headed in from a free kick in the 83nd minute before loss of concentration led to their second through Yann Ngatse a minute later.
Ghana will next play against host nation Morocco on Tuesday in their second Group A game.
