Black Wonders sink South Africa beyond recovery

Accra, Sept 12, GNA - Ghana's Black Wonders on Sunday made a prey out of their South African counterparts with a 7-0 drabbing to pluck the African continent's slot for the maiden Deaflympic Games billed for Australia at their second leg qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Black Wonders, the national deaf football team had to overturn a 1-2 deficit suffered in the first leg in South Africa and stroke three and four times respectively in each half to win 8-2 on aggregate to sink the South Africans beyond recovery.

The Ghanaians who are paired alongside Italy, United States and Turkey played a well composed game which saw the trio of Opuni Samuel, Godfried Baffoe and Isaac Agyemang striking twice each with substitute Godwin Oti Ampong scoring the last goal to finish the demolishing exercise which saw the South Africans weeping uncontrollably after the game.

Inspired by the sparse supporters present, the homesters exhibited admirable fighting spirit spiced with hard work and determination to cancel the one goal deficit by the second minute when Agyemang connected Opuni's cross from a close range.

The Ghanaians from then on charged on their opponents, crisscrossing their passes in their vital area with cheeky ease to raise the hope of the supporters who kept chanting for more goals. Opinu, the obvious man of the match dazzled his way through the visitors rear with amazing footwork and composure before scoring the second goal six minutes later, and it became evident that the South Africans needed more than confidence to handle the Wonders.

The South Africans however settled after the initial scare and carried the game to the Wonders with some creative interchange by Gqwetha Sibogiseni and Mabaleng Tefo only to be denied by alert goalkeeper Alfred Deho when the later fired the last salvo.

The Ghanaians attack led by skipper Baffoe regrouped to teach the goal-shy visitors how to get on target when the skipper after several failed attempts at goal added his name to the score sheet by finishing off Opuni's hard work to end the first half.

Having set up the third, Opuni set the stadium ablaze with a spectacular goal just after the recess when he profited from a pass from the middle and tore the South African defence into shreds before displacing helpless goalkeeper Skosan Tabulani for the fourth goal.

Baffoe and Agyemang respectively followed suit to increase Ghana's lead whilst Oti Ampong nailed the coffin on the stroke of time to give the Wonders a deserved victory and a ticket to the Deaflympics.