Accra, Ghana (March 8, 2024) – Benin and the Gambia missed the opportunity to take an early advantage in Group A as they played out a 0-0 draw in their African Games opener at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday.
It was a game of missed chances, with both sides guilty of failing to convert decent opportunities throughout the 90 minutes.
Benin started the brighter and should have taken the lead inside the opening 10 minutes.
Gambia grew into the game and had a great chance of their own before halftime. Patson Daka’s low drive was pushed away by the Benin goalkeeper at full stretch.
The second half followed a similar pattern of both teams threatening but lacking a clinical edge. Benin had a goal disallowed for a tight offside call, while Gambia hit the woodwork from a free-kick.
In the end, a draw was a fair result, though both coaches will be frustrated their teams failed to make the most of the chances created on the opening day.
With hosts Ghana and Congo also playing out a 0-0 draw, it leaves all four Group A teams level on 1 point heading into the next round of fixtures on Tuesday.
Benin will quickly need to regroup as they take on Congo, while Gambia face a crunch clash against Ghana looking to avoid an early exit.
