Substitute Kwabena stars as Ghana stay in Olympics race

JOHANNESBURG: Owusu Kwabena came off the bench to score twice in a 2-0 win over Mali on Thursday that took Ghana closer to a first appearance at the Olympic Games football tournament since 2004.

The victory, coupled with Cameroon losing 2-1 to hosts Egypt at another Cairo stadium, gave Ghana second place in Group A by the slenderest of margins. Ghana and Cameroon finished level on four points — five behind Egypt — but the Black Meteors (plus one) edged the Indomitable Cubs (level) on goal difference.

The Ghanaians were indebted to Spain-based Kwabena, and Egypt wonder boy Aftmost Mohamed, who scored both goals for his team, with Eric Auk levelling for Cameroon in between.

It was a thrilling finish to the mini-league in an eightnation tournament, which will decide which three countries represent Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Group B is also going down to the wire with South Africa (four points), Ivory Coast, Nigeria (three each) and Zambia (one) all in contention for top-two finishes and semifinals places.

CADIZ (Spain): Spain captain Sergio Ramos said on Thursday he thinks the national side could play in Barcelona for the first time since 2004 once current political tensions have eased, but admitted that now is not the “ideal” time.

The first El Clasico of the season between Barcelona and Real Madrid, originally scheduled for October 26 at the Camp Nou, was postponed until December 18 due to violent pro-independence protests in Catalonia.

The Spanish national team, the 2010 World Cup winners, have not played in Barcelona since a friendly against Peru at the Olympic Stadium 15 years ago, and have not graced the Camp Nou since a game against the Netherlands in 1987.

“This may not be the ideal moment, since we have even suspended a Clasico for obvious reasons beyond our control and our opinions,” said Ramos, Spain’s all-time record appearance maker with 168 international caps. “We hope that it will be settled as quickly as possible, that our country finds a balance in every sense of the word, in all regions. “After that, whether to play in Barcelona, why not?” Spain, who have already booked a spot at Euro 2020, play Malta in their penultimate qualifying game on Friday in Cadiz.