KGL U17 Colts: Northern Region overcome Volta on penalties; Ashanti stage comeback win against Central Region
Northern Region claimed a shootout victory over Volta Region, after a 1-1 stalemate in an entertaining Match Day 7 of the KGL Foundation Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship at Prampram on Thursday August 1, 2024.
Tabo Kennedy put Volta Region in front with a superb finish as early as the 10th minute before winger Draman Alhassan pulled parity for Northern Region in the 60th minute.
The game went to a penalty shootout and Nyaaba Thomas netted the winning spot-kick in a 5-4 win after Godwin Agbomazi's miss proved costly at the GFA technical centre, Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence.
Volta Region, who lost via the lottery of the penalty shootout, remain top in a hotly contested Group A despite suffering their first setback of the campaign.
Northern Region forward Nyaaba Thomas was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) after a pivotal performance for his side.
In Thursday's first game in the talent identification Championship, Ashanti Region came from behind to beat Central Region 3-1 to end their Group A campaign.
Atta Kojo Paintsil- a teenage brother of Black Stars winger, Joseph Paintsil, put Central Region ahead in the 35th minute minute before Ashanti Region rallied to score two goals and profited from an own goal to record their second win in the group.
Benjamin Kwame Baveh led the comeback with the equaliser in the 47th minute, before Central Region talented defender Joseph Essien put the ball in his own net in the 88th minute.
Elvis Kwateng scored the third from the spot in the 92nd minute to hand Ashanti their second win in Group A.
Ashanti Region young star Narbi Joseph was adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The Championship fixtures in Group B on Friday August 2, 2024, will see Upper West Region battling it out with Greater Accra at 10am local time before Western Region Region take on Eastern Region at 14:00GMT (2pm local time).
The matches of the Championships are being telecast live to various platforms including the GFA App, GFA Official Facebook page and Max TV.
The KGL Foundation Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship, launched in 2021, has been an avenue for talent discovery for clubs, particularly Premier and Division One League clubs, with several players being beneficiaries of the esteemed competition.
The ten Regional Football Associations have selected the best U17 players from their Colts competitions to represent their regions in the Championship which is aimed at identifying, training and developing young talents for the national youth teams.
GFA Communications