U-17 AFCON: Wonder goal earns Eric Adu Gyamfi Man of the match as Ghana held by Algeria
Ghanaian youngster Eric Adu Gyamfi announced himself on the continental stage with a stunning individual performance as the Black Starlets were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Algeria in their opening Group D match at the 2026 U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The highly-rated midfielder was named Man of the Match after producing one of the tournament’s early standout moments at the Mohammed VI Football Academy on Thursday evening.
Ghana made a flying start to the contest when Gavi Yao opened the scoring in the third minute, giving the Black Starlets early control of the game.
But it was Gyamfi’s spectacular strike seven minutes later that captured the attention of fans across Africa.
After spotting the Algerian goalkeeper off his line, the midfielder unleashed an audacious long-range chipped effort that sailed brilliantly into the net to double Ghana’s advantage.
The goal immediately sparked excitement on social media, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) praising Gyamfi’s awareness, composure and vision in a post shared on CAF Online’s Instagram platforms.
At 2-0 up before the midway point of the first half, Ghana appeared to be cruising towards victory.
However, Algeria responded strongly after the break and mounted an impressive comeback through quickfire goals from Adam Benali and Melwane Zaidi to restore parity.
The Black Starlets were then handed a major reprieve late in the game when Algeria’s Ilyas Grini failed to convert a 67th-minute penalty, allowing Ghana to escape with a point.
Despite the disappointment of surrendering a two-goal lead, Gyamfi’s display provided a major positive for head coach Prosper Narteh Ogum, whose side showed flashes of attacking quality throughout the contest.
The result leaves both Ghana and Algeria level on one point in Group D heading into the next round of fixtures.
The Black Starlets will now turn their attention to a crucial clash against Senegal on Sunday, knowing a positive result could significantly boost their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
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