Parliament XI, a team primarily composed of Members of Parliament, secured a 3-1 victory over the Black Stars Legends, a side formed by retired national football stars in a thrilling match at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The match, part of the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Ghana’s Parliamentary Democracy, saw Patrick Boakye-Yiadom, MP for Obuasi East, score the opening goal, setting the stage for an unexpected win.
The legislators dominated the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities while both teams showed a lack of defensive interest and employed high offside lines.
The Parliament XI, featuring MPs such as Yusuf Jajah, Stephen Amoah, and Haruna Iddrisu, took the lead midway through the first half when Boakye-Yiadom netted a close-range effort, beating celebrated goalkeeper Richard Kingston.
The Parliament team came close to scoring twice earlier in the match, with Tamale-South MP Haruna Iddrisu’s lobbed effort ruled offside, and John Paintsil making two crucial goal-line clearances for the Black Stars Legends.
The Black Stars Legends made strategic changes at the break, bringing on Laryea Kingston, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Baidoo, Fatawu Dauda, and Ibrahim Tanko.
These changes revitalized the team, and they dominated the early stages of the second half.
Sulley Muntari’s free-kick midway through the second half brought the teams level.
However, Hamza Ibrahim’s second-half brace ensured victory for the Parliamentarians over their star-studded opponents, concluding the match with a 3-1 scoreline.