Youngster Tracey Twum scored a brace on Sunday night as Ampem Darkoa Ladies beat Huracanes FC in their third group game at the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League to seal a semifinal spot.
After one win and one defeat in their first two games, the WAFU B champions reacted well to the loss to AS Mande on Thursday to advance to the next stage of the competition where they will face debutants SC Casablanca.
Ampem Darkoa Ladies took the lead through forward Tracey Twum in the ninth minute of the game. Twum converted brilliantly from a free kick after Jennifer Owusuaa had been brought down close to the penalty box.
The WAFU B champions however were unable to take advantage of their lead to control the tempo of the game as Huracanes regained momentum.
Deborah Brown, coming into the team for her first appearance, denied the Equatorial Guinea side on two occasions to keep her side in the game.
Twum should have scored her second goal of the game after being played through by Linda Owusu Ansah but the winger just shot wide of the post.
The Nana Mma went into the break with just the 1-0 goal from Twum and were fortunate not to have surrendered their lead.
Ampem Darkoa Ladies almost doubled their lead right after the recess but Twum’s square pass into the path of Maybel Amoyaw was intercepted by the Huracanes goalkeeper.
There was also an opportunity for Owusuaa to score the second after a brilliant run down the left by the goalscorer but the former’s effort went just wide.
Huracanes were close to getting their equaliser in the 60th minute but a long-range strike was tipped onto the crossbar by Brwon in post for Ampem Darkoa.
After a series of Huracanes attacks, the Techiman-based almost doubled the lead but a free kick effort from some yards off the penalty box came off the crossbar with the rebound being cleared away.
There was no denying Twum again as she grabbed her second of the game, scoring from a rebound as the Ghanaians hit the crossbar once again.
The forward raced the quickest to ensure she cushioned the lead for Ampem Darkoa Ladies. It was Owusuaa’s effort once again which the goalkeeper failed to deal with.
Brown was forced into another excellent save to deny the away side on the day in the 84th minute but there was a third for the Ghanaian side with Twum playing through substitute Gnabekan N-Yanimaya for their third.
Huracanes pulled one back almost immediately but it was only a consolation with the game ending 3-1 in favor of Ampem Darkoa Ladies.
Ampem Darkoa will now face fellow debutants SC Casablanca who finished second in Group A in the last four.
The semifinal game is slated for Wednesday, November 15.
Source: Lawrence Degraft Baidoo
