On this day 26 February 1993 (Exactly 27 years ago today) Algeria fought from a goal down to beat the Black Stars of Ghana 2-1 in a 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match played in Tlemcen .
But the Black Stars, yearning for a World Cup appearance and indeed extremely favoured to secure a place in the US finals, didn’t lose their franchise without a fight as they led 1-0 at half time through a 15th minute goal scored by future Black Stars coach C.K. Akunnor, who had just began a professional stint with German second division side Fortuna Koln.
However, wintry conditions in Tlemcen, the activities of Islamic fundamentalist in Algiers which provided ready excuse for the match to be shifted to the outlandish province and for kick off at almost midnight because of the Ramadan, and poor goalkeeping by Abukari Damba, coupled with the early injury of striker Prince Opoku Polley and the unenthusiastic contribution of Tony Yeboah must have conspired to make Ghana fall vulnerable
Special flight
Arriving in Tlemcen a day before the match to a bright weather via Geneva by specially arranged executive jet after a few days camping in Marseille as gust of Abedi Pele’s club, Olympic Marseille, the Black Stars looked every bit the favourites when a light training session that night at the Tlemcen Stadium, built to seat 25,000 spectators, revealed a perfect understanding in team work between the local based players and their foreign based players, and one even wondered how new import Kenny Acheampong of English Club Leyton Orient, could easily fit into the team’s scheme.
But some four hours before kick – off on the day of the match, the bright weather suddenly gave way to snowfall, followed by heavy rains with accompanying thunder and lightning
If Ghanaian had labelled the encounter “Operation Desert Storm” the Algerians apparently might have billed it “Operation War Against the Black Stars” . And it didn’t take long for the Black Stars to come to that realisation.
The first realisation came when early on Thursday (a day before the match) night when the Algerian authorities had gone to arrest their own national, seized his documents pending the outcome of the match to deal with him later for magnanimously releasing his premises to be used as a catering centre by a group of Ghanaian students organised by the Ghana Mission in Algeria to prepare some Ghanaian dishes for the Black Stars.
Intimidation
The oldman wept uncontrollably all night till the next day, conscious of the treatment that he could be subjected to after the departure of the Ghanaian team.
To the chauvinistic Algerian, the oldman’s generosity amounted to the betrayal of the Algerian course.
Therefore, Mr Yankey, the Charge d’ Affairs at the Ghana Mission, together with acting Deputy Youth and Sports, Mr E.T. Mensah decided to take the matter up at the diplomatic level at which instance the assurance was given firmly that the case would be dropped.
The other realisation of the war theme against the Black Stars was the real war atmosphere created before and during the match.
It was as though to intimate the players as turban – wearing muslims with the additional dress code of overflowing chocolate- white dresses, that appeared to have seen much wear, brandished antiquated guns that looked like relics of the historical Algerian War of Resistance against the French.
As they danced and sang in groups, they let go simultaneous volleys from these guns on the approch of the bus that brought the Stars to the stadium.
But with the respected Abedi Pele leading the Ghanaian gang, the Black Stars finally took the field in an attractive all -yellow Adidas attire and boots and looking well – psyched for battle, played with flourish as much as the white and green – shirted Algerians who kicked off.
The Algerians, roared on by their fans, tried repeatedly to beat their path from the right wing through the territory of Joe Odoi. But Odoi’s alertness and quick tackles neutralised the raids of Algerian skipper Cherif El- Ouazani and Dahlab Ali to stand out in the Ghanaian defence in the first half.
And once the Black Stars survived the early raids, the superb display of Ali Ibrahim in midfield and the commandeering presence of skipper Abedi Pele and the striking industry of Prince Opoku were in full view.
Having found Prince Opoku too slippery in the Ghanaian attack, Algerian defender Amrouche visited a lunging tackle on the striker after 13 minutes and Opoku who was stretchered off was never to return to action.
However, before he was declared medically unfit for further action for substitute Kwame Ayew to be sent on after 19 minutes the Black Stars had found the leader in the 15th minute, courtesy the left foot of promising star C.K. Akunnor.
The goal itself was the mastermind of the phenomenal Abedi Pele and the creative intelligence of petit defender Isaac Asare.
Abedi, having forced Algerian defender Medtah Mahiddine to push the ball to corner, placed himself well within the sight of Isaac Asare who was to effect the kick.
The Anderlecht young star propelled a grounder to the left foot of the French Olympic Marseille super star, who spinned it across the goal – mouth for the incoming Akunnor to provide the incisive finish to throw the otherwise noisy stadium into a graveyard.
But the Algerians almost came up with the equaliser in the 18th zminute when left winger Rahmouni Hamid took advantage of a mix – up in the Ghanaian defence, but his gliding shot missed narrowly with Damba beaten.
As they kept the pressure, the Algerians also resorted to harrowing tackles, and in the twentieth minute, Mauritian referee Lim Kim Chong booked defender Bellatoui Omar for fouling the mercurial Abedi.
Distress
From this time onwards, everything pointed to an Algerian equaliser as Damba looked distress in the post. In the 30th minute Damba fumbled with an angled shot by Dahlab and again was unsighted during a rebound, Ali Ibrahim pulled off a save by booting the ball out.
A minute later however, Algerian striker Saib Moussa found the Ghanaian net with a header that beat the sprawling Damba during a mouth – siege but referee Chong displayed some rare bravery by disallowing it, despite Algerian protests, after consulting his assistant referee who had flagged.
There were signs, good enough to alert the technical handlers that the apparently jittery Damba could concede a goal any moment for them to send on ready substitute Salifu Ansah.
But perhaps, a spectacular point – blank save made by Damba moments later from El Ouazani’s attempt that the goalie punched to the corner, made them to stick to their plans.
The half ended with Yaw Acheampong being booked in the thirty fourth minute for fouling while a well erected wall by the Ghanaian defence gave the Stars a reprieve from an Algerian freekick after Frimpong Manso had handled the ball close to the goal area
But back from recces the Algerians had looked even more dangerous when substitute Brahimi Mohammed, pushed on by the tireless Ouazani, harassed the Ghanaian territory with amazing Grace.
Indeed, he nearly found the net in the forty sixth minute as his burly header missed narrowly.
After two other Algerian misses from cornerkicks in the 55th minute and 56th minutes, the Algerian fans were no longer in doubt their team could come up with the equaliser soonest. And just in the 57th minute, they did.
A loose ball in the Ghanaian territory was miskicked by Joe Odoi and as the ball strolled towards the Ghanaian goal, Damba looked like set to grabbing it. But strange to relate, Damba was effortless and Brahimi came all the way to slip it through under his body into the net.
The Algerian guns that had been quietened by the Ghanaian leader earlier, came back with booming salvos.
And once they had the equaliser, the Algerians knew the winner could as well be on their way as they stampeded the Ghanaian half with amazing rapidity, forcing the Stars to withdraw into the defence while Kwame Ayew, the only man left in the attack, at times appeared as lonely as Robinson Crusoe.
Thus, with their attacking option reduced, the Black Stars realised a draw could be the only gamble to resort to, which must be why Emmanuel Armah was sent on for Yaw Acheampong in the 80th minute.
But the Algerians wouldn’t allow Armah to settle in his strides as a minute later, Brahimi sent the Algerians into a frenzy with a gifted goal from Damba.
The Ghanaian goakeeper failed to stop a cross from the left as he palmed the ball onto the ready foot of unmarked Brahimi to tap it into the net.
The Algerian striker could not be happier with that Ghanaian generosity and the stadium rose to celebrate it with pomp.
The end had come for the Stars and when referee Chong’s whistle finally went, the Stars lost their bearings on the pitch as they wandered about like lost children in the desert.
The 2-1 victory over the Black Stars gave them the franchise to advance to the next stage with five points as against Ghana’s four and three by Burundi.
Tears flowed down the cheeks of those who really knew what they had lost, especially Pele and Tony Baffoe, and the thought that they, and for that matter Ghana, would miss out at the world stage in USA the following year.
What Next?
In the final stage of the qualifiers, Algeria failed to qualify for the finals in US after finishing last in their group behind Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.
Algeria Line-up:Reda Acimi – Rezki Amrouche, Omar Belatouni, Mahieddine Meftah, Sithamar Cherif – Mohamed Idirem, Ali Dahleb (Necer Zekri 60′), Moussa Saib, Mourad Meziane – Abdelhafid Tasfaout, Hamid Rahamouni (Mohammed Brahim 46′)
Coach . : Meziane Ighil
Ghana Line-up:Abukari Damba, Isaac Asare, Joseph Odoi, Frimpong Manso, Anthony Baffoe, Yaw Acheampong (Emmanuel Armah) , Ali Ibrahim, Prince Polley (Kwame Ayew’), Anthony Yeboah, Abedi ‘Pelé’ Ayew, Charles Akunnor
Coach : Otto Pfister (Germany)
Referee : Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius )
Elsewhere;
On this day 26 February 2010 (Exactly 10 years ago today) Ghana’s Black Princesses, the national U-20 female team qualified for their maiden FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup appearance in Germany after they spanked the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-0 in a return encounter of their final qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Princesses needed just a draw to cruise to the World Cup after coming home 2-0 victors in the first leg game in Congo. The Ghanaian ladies started the game slowly but peaked at the right time with goals from Faiza Ibrahim, Elizabeth Cudjoe and Florence Dadson doing the trick.
On this day 26 February 1960 (Exactly 50 years ago today) Sir Alexander Mathew “Matt” Busby unveiled the plaque at Old Trafford which commemorates the Manchester United players, officials, members of the press and others killed in the Munich Air Crash in February 1958.Busby himself had been badly injured in the accident.
On this day 26 February 2012 (Exactly 8 years ago today) Arsenal produced a superb fightback to come from 2-0 down and hammer Tottenham 5-2 at Emirates Stadium in a pulsating North London derby.
Goals
Arsenal
Bacary Sagna (40)
R. Van Persie(43)
Tomas Rosicky (51)
Theo Walcott (65,68)
Tottenham
Louis Says (4)
Emmanuel Adebayor (34 pen)
BY: GEORGE ‘Alan Green’ MAHAMAH
