Ghana turn tables on arch-foes Nigeria in West African Football Union Cup of Nations

Johannesburg (AFP) – Hosts Ghana decisively turned the tables on arch-foes Nigeria Sunday by romping to a 4-1 victory in the West African Football Union Cup of Nations final.

Nigeria won a group game between the regional football powerhouses 2-0 and did not concede a goal in five outings leading to the title decider.

The Nigerian clean sheet stretched to 494 minutes before Stephen Sarfo broke the deadlock a minute before half-time in a match watched by CAF president Ahmad Ahmad from Madagascar.

Vincent Atingah converted a penalty on 63 minutes to double the lead at the Cape Coast Stadium in the western fishing port.

When Ghana were awarded another spot-kick 13 minutes from time, Sarfo scored to raise his competition goal tally to four and put the outcome of the final beyond doubt.

But the humiliation was not over for Nigeria as Winful Cobbinah scored a fourth goal for rampant Ghana three minutes into stoppage time.

Rarely has a goal meant so little to a team as that scored by Rabiu Ali for Nigeria later in additional time.

Victory swelled the Ghana Football Association bank balance by $100,000 (85,000 euros) thanks to sponsorship from an American news channel. Nigeria received $50,000.

Niger came third by defeating Benin 2-1 in a curtain-raiser to the final.

Because the 16-nation tournament was staged outside a FIFA international window, teams relied mainly on home-based stars.