June 18, (THEWILL) – Ghana’s hopes of securing a spot in the TotalEnergies 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals were dealt a blow as they were held to a goalless draw by Madagascar in a Group E qualification match.
The qualifier took place on Sunday evening at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Antananarivo. Although the Black Stars started strongly, it was the home side that came closest to finding the back of the net when Dorian Bertrand narrowly missed his chance. The match remained evenly contested throughout, with both teams unable to break the deadlock.
Thomas Partey exhibited his dominance in midfield for Ghana, but his team struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. In the second half, the Arsenal midfielder came close to scoring from a well-taken free-kick, but goalkeeper Razakanirina Rakotohasimbola denied him with a superb save. The match’s final chance fell to Ibrahim Amada in the 86th minute, but his attempt was expertly thwarted by Ghanaian keeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi. With neither team able to find the breakthrough, the game ended in a goalless stalemate.
Despite the draw, Ghana still maintains their position at the top of Group E. To secure qualification for the AFCON finals, the Black Stars will need to secure a victory against Central African Republic in a home match scheduled for September.
On the other hand, Madagascar’s dreams of reaching the finals have dwindled, as they currently sit in fourth place in the group standings. They will face a challenging away fixture against Angola in September as they strive to salvage their qualifying campaign.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
