Black Satellites crash out hosts Algeria to pick U20 World Cup spot
Seidu Salifu and Ebenezer Assifuah scored a goal each in the first half to put Ghana in the semi-final
Ghana's Under-20 side, the Black Satellites beat Algeria
2-0 to book a semi-final spot in the ongoing African Youth
Championship.The Black Satellites stunned their North African opponents in their last group game with an early goal from Seidu Salifu.
Salifu wowed even the home crowd with a 4th-minute volley that beat the Algerian goalkeeper who stretched to his limit but could not tip the ball past the top left corner of his post.
The 2009 World Youth Champions kept their cool and in spite of the home support going against them, won most of the 50-50 balls as they kept knocking to earn goals.
With a minute to hit the half hour mark, Ghana's leading goal scorer of the tournament, Ebenezer Assifuah, added to his tally to make it 2-0.
Assifuah, who has been instrumental for coach Sellas Tetteh's side in the tournament, tapped in the ball from a Michael Anaba cross in the 29th-minute.
The score line remained the same into the interval.
The North Africans resumed the second half with a change, but that could not yield any productive dividend for the hosts. Ghana were the side that saw most parts of the game with Assifuah - the three-time goal scorer of the competition - squandering chances.
Coach Tetteh exhausted all his alloted three substitutions to ensure his side maintained their lead. Ghana's rearguard deserves credit for shielding goalkeeper Antwi, who was virtually on holiday throughout the game.
The Black Satellites are now through to the semi-final and will face Mali and have qualified for the U20 World Cup in Turkey, the first time in four years.
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