Ghana have made to the ultimate round of the qualifying stage for the maiden African Nations Championship after edging out Togo on Saturday.
The Black Stars qualified on a 4-2 aggregate score result after the Togolese rallied back to draw the second leg tie 2-2 at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, the adopted home of the Hawks as they serve the first of a three-match ban imposed on them last year by the Confederation of African Football.
Ghana beat the Togolese 2-0 in the first leg with goals coming from John Boye and Eric Bekoe and the two players were on hand again to put their names on the scorecards for the Black Stars.
Despite guiding Ghana to reach the ultimate round of the qualifying campaign, the game was the last for Claude Le Roy, who drew the applause from the crowd as the final whistle went.
Saturday’s game was the final for the Frenchman as he ended his two-year relationship with Ghana.
Despite his desire to end his time on a high note, it was never to be as a late error gifted the Togolese a draw.
However, Le Roy would walk away a proud man after John Boye soared above the Hawks to nod in the opener for Ghana before the 40th minute mark, thus his third in the qualifying campaign.
Togo ensured that they drew level before the game headed into the break with the equalizer coming from Aloenouvo Backer in the 44th minute.
Back from recess, Ghana pushed and in the 51st minute the Black Stars jumped into the lead again as Eric Bekoe scored his second goal in a Black Stars shirt when he connected from a corner kick.
Ghana could have put the game beyond the Togolese but misses by Bekoe, Ekow Benson, Jordan Opoku and Emmanuel Banahene kept the scores at 2-1 for the Black Stars.
The Black Stars looked like finishing the game winners but poor communication between goalkeeper Fatau Dauda and Hanan Giwah as a back pass from the defender slipped the legs of the goalkeeper who had already moved off his line.
The win pushes Ghana a step closer to qualification for the first ever African Nations Championship.