Ghana No.1 Benjamin Asare’s Clean Sheet Record Shattered by Nigeria in Unity Cup
- Black Stars first-choice goalkeeper Benjamin Asare sees his clean sheet record broken by the Super Eagles of Nigeria
- Ghana's historic rivals needed just 14 minutes to go ahead in the second Unity Cup semif-final encounter in London
- The winner of the Ghana vs Nigeria fixture will meet Jamaica in the final after the latter edged out Trinidad and Tobago
In a stunning turn of events at the Gtech Community Stadium in London, Benjamin Asare’s impressive run of clean sheets came to an abrupt end.
The Ghanaian goalkeeper, who had been a rock for the Black Stars during the World Cup qualifiers, finally conceded in the high-stakes Unity Cup semi-final against Nigeria.
Source: Twitter
Benjamin Asare's clean sheet record broken
Just 14 minutes into the match, Dessers Cyriel of Rangers broke the deadlock for Nigeria.
His sharp finish sent the Super Eagles ahead and immediately put Ghana on the back foot.
This goal threw the Nigerian fans into jubilant mood. It also marked the first time Benjamin Asare had conceded since becoming Ghana’s number one goalkeeper.
Benjamin Asare’s previous Black Stars form
Asare’s performances in the World Cup qualifiers had been nothing short of stellar.
The Hearts of Oak custodian kept two clean sheets in the qualifiers, a 5-0 victory over Chad in Accra on March 21, followed by a 3-0 win against Madagascar in Morocco, per the BBC.
Source: Twitter
His consistency had boosted Ghana’s confidence and solidified his place as the team’s last line of defense, with Otto Addo later explaining why he selected the home-based player to start ahead of Lawrence Ati-Zigi and Joseph Wollacott.
Before this match, Asare had become a symbol of resilience and reliability for the Black Stars.
However, Nigeria’s early strike disrupted this momentum as Eric Chelle's experienced side dominated the first half of the match.
Nigeria doubles the lead quickly
Only five minutes after the opening goal, the Super Eagles, doubled their advantage at the 19th minute, an own goal by Nations FC defender Razak Simpson.
Its worth noting that Nigeria are without star forwards Victor Osimhen and African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman for the Unity Cup, per Pulse Nigeria.
The quick succession of goals rattled Ghana’s defense and highlighted the Super Eagles’ clinical attacking prowess.
Nigeria’s attacking play was aggressive and well-coordinated, leaving little room for Ghana’s defenders and Asare to recover.
The early setback forced Ghana to chase the game, which left gaps at the back that Nigeria exploited skillfully.
Brandon Thomas-Asante, however, came off the bench to make it 2-1 for Ghana in 70th minute.
What is the Unity Cup about?
The Unity Cup is a prestigious tournament, designed to bring together teams from different parts of the world for competitive matches that foster sportsmanship and camaraderie.
The Super Eagles heads into the Unity Cup final against Jamaica, who had earlier secured their spot by defeating Trinidad and Tobago 3-2 in the other semi-final match held on Tuesday.
Benjamin Asare gifted a new car
YEN.com.gh earlier reported the Alhaji Seidu Agongo's car donation to Hearts of Oak goalkeepr Benjamin Asare.
The former Great Olympics custodian had gone viral after his use of public transport in Accra following his Black Stars debut on March 21.
Source: YEN.com.gh
