A second-half Jordan Ayew penalty was enough to secure Ghana a 1-0 away triumph over Sao Tome and Principe in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Monday.
The Crystal Palace striker’s effort earned the Black Stars all three points in the Group C matchday two fixture at Stade Nacional 12 Julho.
With two straight wins following Thursday’s 2-0 triumph over South Africa, the West Africans have moved to the top of the table.
Ghana coach James Kwasi Appiah made one change to his starting line-up, replacing Sassuolo midfielder Alfred Duncan with Saudi-based Samuel Owusu.
Sao Tome’s set-up featured the Portugal-based duo of Uniao de Madeira midfielder Jardel Nazare and SC Covilha striker Ludgerio Silva.
The Black Stars were presented with a good scoring opportunity in the 11th minute when the younger Ayew intercepted a pass from goalkeeper Gilmar Eusebio and picked out Owusu, whose shot on goal was blocked by a defender.
In the 16th minute, Eusebio was again called into action, this time by Andy Yiadom, who found space to hit a shot following a corner routine.
After Boateng saw a penalty shout ignored, Andre Ayew headed a cross over the bar and Thomas Partey’s drive went too high, Luis Dos Anjos almost gave the home side the lead at the other end after capitalizing on a communication breakdown between center-back Kasim Adams and goalkeeper Ebenezer Ofori just before the half-time break. The stopper, however, reacted well to handle the danger.
Ghana had a good chance to break the deadlock just after the interval but Party headed a cross over the bar.
The Black Stars would be awarded a penalty two minutes later when goalkeeper Eusebio dropped the ball and hacked down Boateng, who had pounced on the loose ball. Jordan Ayew stepped up and expertly converted to put Ghana 1-0 up.
The tempo of the match dropped drastically thereafter and looked like a training match for the remainder of the second half.
With no further clear-cut chances or goals, the Black Stars ended their trip with a 1-0 victory.
The qualifiers return in August next year when Ghana take on Sudan on matchday three.
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