World Cup: Ghana nearly rain on Portugal’s peri peri parade
Records broken as Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score in five World Cups
NO goals in the first half and five in the second – that’s the way to entertain the fans!
And it was Portugal who came out on the right side of a 3-2 win over Ghana, with the Black Stars shining in a tremendous fight-back.
Key figure in the Portuguese victory was Cristiano Ronaldo, who looked to get involved from the start with his clever runs into open spaces.
Put through early in the game, it was only the bravery of Lawrence At-Zigi that suffocated his shot before he could finish.
Moments later, he rose highest to meet a cross, as he has done hundreds of times before, but this time he was off target.
He actually had the ball in the net at the half-hour mark but was deemed to have used his hands to fend off Alexander Djiku.
Portugal were running the stage but Ghana refused to play a minor role, most notably Mohammed Kudus who ran his heart out and was at the centre of all the Ghanaian attacks.
Kudos to Kudus as he shot wide in the 54th minute after showing strength and power in a dynamic surge.
It took an hour for the score board to kindle, as Ronaldo bought a penalty with clever body position conning his marker.
Only one person was going to take the spot kick! The keeper went low, the ball went high, the fans went crazy and Ronaldo went into the record books as the first player to score in five World Cups.
He also became his nation’s oldest and youngest World Cup scorer.
But the celebrations were short-lived as Andre Ayew equalised after uncharacteristic sloppiness in the Portuguese box.
This was the first goal scored by any of the five African teams at the competition.
Ghana’s euphoria didn’t last long as a slide rule pass from Bernardo Silva found a composed Joao Felix, who dinked it over the keeper for 2-1.
The Nando boys weren’t done yet and it was three when Rafael Leao cut in from the left and bent it into the far corner; but 3-1 became 3-2 when unmarked substitute Jordan Ayew headed home from a cross with his markers AWOL.
Relief for Portugal at the final whistle as they head the group and have a big foot in the qualification door.
