Accra, Oct. 19, GNA - Dansoman-based Liberty Professionals came from behind to beat ASFA Yennega of Burkina Faso 5-2 on Monday in their third round second leg WAFU Club Championship clash.
The result ensured the nation's only representative in an international club championship, an easy passage to the fourth round of the competition on a 5-2 aggregate after a barren draw in the first leg played in Ouagadougou a fortnight ago.
By the victory, Liberty has reached the penultimate hurdle in the qualifying series for the championship that pieces together the best clubs from the West African sub-region.
Black Satellites striker Latif Salifu was the hero for the hosts with a second half hat-trick of the game that was watched by a countable crowd at the 40,000-capacity Ohene Djan Stadium. ASFA, reigning Burkinabe champions, started off brightly as their Ghanaian duo, Solomon Asante and Mandela Ocansey terrorized the Liberty half with occasional runs upfront.
Asante and Ocansey, both products of the Gomoa Fetteh-based Feyenoord Academy, gave the Liberty rear of Francis Morton, David Kabu, Michael Annan and Captain David Addo some scary moments with their pacy runs. Eight minutes past the half hour mark, Ocansey gave the visitors the lead by rounding off Liberty goalie Patrick Antwi after Asante had put him through.
Liberty responded and Ivorian-import Kelvin Kouadio answered the call a minute from half time by tapping in a Kamal Issah cross from the right. Beninois referee Crespin Aguidissou almost marred the beauty of the game on the stroke of half time by awarding the home side a seemingly dubious penalty after Wassiyoli Ishola was adjudged to have fouled Mawuli Tuglo in the penalty area.
Tuglo later converted the spot kick to give Liberty a 2-1 lead but not after heated protestation from the ASFA players. Five minutes from recess, Salifu, a member of the Black Satellites wining squad, who replaced Kouadio just before half time authenticated the lead by shooting beyond the reach of goalkeeper Daouda Sory after beating an offside trap.
On 69 minutes, Salifu, who had skipped the presidential reception accorded the victorious Satellites team by President John Evans Atta Mills simultaneously, scored his side's fourth goal by finishing off a brilliant solo effort by left-back Richard Kissi before sealing his hat-trick three minutes from time.
The visitors grabbed a consolation in the dying embers of the game through Ishola, who blasted in a thunderbolt from a free-kick. Information gathered by GNA Sports indicates that Liberty is likely to face AS Tonnere of Benin at the fourth round.
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
