South Africa grab berth in Tokyo Olympics
AFP, Johannesburg
South Africa snatched the last African place for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games with a 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Ghana in Cairo Friday after a breathtaking third place play-off. The South Africans will join Egypt and the Ivory Coast as the three African representatives among 16 nations in Japan next July and August.
Ghana twice came from behind in regular time, with the second equaliser scored on 85 minutes by Samuel Obeng, forcing the match to a shootout. Both sides converted four of the five mandatory kicks and after Lyle Foster gave South Africa a 6-5 lead, Emmanuel Cudjoe had his penalty saved by Mondli Mpoto. South African players and coaches hugged each other at the Cairo International Stadium while many Ghanaians slumped to the ground and wept.
Ghana also lost on penalties against the Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the eight-nation qualifying tournament, foiling them in the first of two chances they had to reach Tokyo. South Africa led when Habib Mohammed conceded a 15th-minute own-goal and Ghana levelled five minutes into the second half through an unstoppable Evans Mensah shot.
