Alidu Issah's early brace powers Ghana's U17 side past Benin 3-1 and into the WAFU Zone B semi-finals.
Ghana's young stars are heading to the WAFU Zone B U17 Championship semi-finals, and striker Alidu Issah led the charge. His two early goals set up a 3-1 win over Benin in Group A and put the Black Starlets among the last four.
Kassim Ocansey's side hit the ground running. They scored inside the first four minutes, and Issah added a second just four minutes after that, a sharp finish that gave Ghana a 2-0 grip on the contest before most fans had settled into their seats.
The intensity dipped as the half went on, and Benin took advantage. They pulled one back in the 31st minute to make it 2-1 and pushed Ghana harder after the break. The Starlets stayed composed under pressure. Ocansey turned to his bench, bringing on Benedict Tano, Prince Apam, Stephen Gyasi, Nii Odoi Tawiah and Daniel Owusu to freshen up the legs, and Ghana kept playing out from the back while shutting down Benin's route to an equaliser.
That discipline paid off in the 81st minute. Apam spun away from his marker and found Tawiah, who finished coolly to restore the two-goal cushion at 3-1 and settle the result.
For Ghana, it is another sign that the country's youth pipeline is producing. Issah's finishing and the impact of the substitutes show real depth in this squad as the knockout rounds approach.
