Amartey lift for City as Ghana risk Afcon exit
BLACK STARS’ ELIMINATION COULD SEE HIM BACK IN
LEICESTER City could get Daniel Amartey back sooner than expected with Ghana staring at an early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana now rely on other results to guarantee their progress in the competition having picked up just one point from their opening two games.
A group-stage elimination for the Black Stars could see Amartey back at City and in contention to play against Brighton next weekend.
Amartey played 90 minutes for Ghana in their second group fixture on Friday night, where they conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with Gabon. Andre Ayew’s first-half strike had set Ghana on course for victory, but Jim Allevinah scored two minutes from the end to level proceedings. Gabon were the team celebrating at full-time, with Ghana tensions spilling over, prompting a melee at the final whistle, with the Black Stars’ Benjamin Tetteh shown a red card.
Having lost their first game to Morocco, Ghana have just one point to their name and face a nervy final match to progress to the knockout stages.
They take on bottom of the group Comoros and will be favourites to get a victory, but if Morocco and Gabon draw, or if Gabon win, then three points for Ghana would still not be enough to get them into the top two of the group and automatically through to the last 16.
Where they could get a reprieve is that four of the six third-placed sides will also go through.
If Ghana reach four points, they stand a good chance of being among the best-ranked thirdplaced finishers, but if they can only draw with Comoros, two points is unlikely to be enough to see them through. A shock defeat to the islanders and Ghana would be out.
The climax to Group C takes place tomorrow, and so if Ghana are eliminated, Amartey may be back in contention for City by the time they host Brighton on Sunday, January 23.
Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi definitely won’t be returning early after they helped Nigeria secure a 3-1 win over Sudan on Saturday to book their place in the knockout rounds.
Iheanacho did not get on the scoresheet as he did in the Super Eagles’ opener, but it was his freekick that caused havoc for the second goal, Taiwo Awoniyi heading in.
The victory means Nigeria have guaranteed top spot in their group with a game to spare, and so will get a favourable draw in the last 16.
Elsewhere, Papy Mendy was an unused substitute as Senegal drew with Guinea in their second group game to put one foot in the knockout rounds.
Having lost their first game to Morocco, Ghana have just one point to their name and face a nervy final match
ACTION ON SATURDAY