Ghana’s Olympic soccer team, the Black Meteors beat the Amagluglug of South Africa 3:1 on Sunday to keep alive their hopes of making it to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Striker Asamoah Gyan, provided the opening and closing goals (20th and 85th minutes), with Bernard Kumordzi providing the second in the 34th in an enterprising game at the El Wak Stadium.

The Black Stars striker proved too hot for the Amagluglug defence on the afternoon and on the two occasions that he managed to drive his shots past goalkeeper Ithumeleng Khune, Asamoah provided a perfect mix of his trademark pace and strength to shrugg off considerable resistance.

But the Amagluglug, whose consolation came through Erwin Isaacs in the 55th, have themselves to blame for going down. On several occasions, they located the ball behind the Meteors players except goalkeeper Eric Nii Baah, and somehow, they managed to squander the chances.

Meteors let off the hook?

	A section of supporters of the Ghanaian national teams supporters.

In the words of the South African coach Steve Komphela, ‘playing well and going down is as good as useless,” in post match comments to the press.

He felt strongly his boys should have taken their chances. Since arriving in Ghana on Thursday for the return encounter, (Ghana won the game in South Africa by the same margin), he never ceased to remind anyone who cared to know that his team was equally able to reverse the scoreline from the first game.

Indeed while the Ghanaians played better in the first half, the South Africans were in control in the second except in front of goal.

Ghana must now beat Nigeria in the final game in Accra on November 17 to qualify for the Olympics. Nigeria won the first leg 3:2 at home.

Ghana (6 points) lead Group A, where Nigeria (4 points) and second are nursing high hopes of thumping the Meteors in Accra to pick the only ticket.

Ethiopia pulled out of the group to leave the three nations to slug it out.

(Visit our photo gallery for more interesting photos from the match.)

Story and photographs by Isaac Yeboah