U-23 AFCON: Black Meteors booted out of tournament after Guinea draw

A depressing Black Meteors side showed a lack of character in their final group game at the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations against Guinea in Tangier on Friday night and have been eliminated from the competition.

The Meteors, who showed very little spirit, exit the tournament at the group stage with four points out of a possible nine.

Going into the game against Guinea, Ibrahim Tanko’s side needed a win to pip their opponents to a place in the knockout phase but failed to live up to expectations.

Despite their poor showing on the night, the Meteors got off to a strong start, with some neat interplay between Emmanuel Yeboah and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku giving Ghana the lead.

Some sweet passing sent Emmanuel Yeboah through on goal, and he finished clinically against the run of play to give Ghana the lead.

Despite being second best for much of the first half, the Meteors held on to go into the break with their 1-0 lead intact.

The spirited Guinean side showed resilience after the break and were rewarded, leveling courtesy of a 30-yard strike by Ibrahima Breze Fofana.

Guinea held on and, despite Ghana’s late charge, sealed the point which took them through to the knockout round.

The Black Meteors players sunk to the turf in tears after the final whistle as their hopes of a first Olympics appearance since 2004 disappeared.