Six goals were exchanged and Iraq did it again and make their way into the semi-finals! Ghana also defeated Chile to advance to the final four after coming out on top in a climatic seven-goal thriller, Will Burns provides you with a rundown of the action.

IRAQ 3-3 KOREA REPUBLIC

IRAQ WIN 5-4 ON PENALTIES

In the first dramatic match of the day, Iraq defeated Korea Republic 5-4 on penalties in their last eight game after a breath-taking climax to their 3-3 draw in Kayseri. The Iraqis become the first Asian team to reach the Under-20 World Cup semis in 14 years.

Goals from Ali Faez and Shakor had put Iraq ahead twice in the first 90 minutes, but were cancelled out in turn by Kwon Changhoon and Lee Gwanghun. The game went down to penalties, just like their last meeting in the AFC U-19 Championship, though this time Iraq triumphed, with Shakor scoring the crucial spot-kick.

Farhan Shakor struck in the 118th minute to seemingly put Iraq through, but with 15 seconds remaining Jung Hyuncheol saw Korea Republic come from behind for the third time to see the pair go to penalties for the second occasion in the space of a year.

GHANA 4-3 CHILE

AFTER EXTRA TIME

Ebenezer Assifuah scored in the dying minutes of extra time to send Ghana through to the semi-finals of the with a thrilling 4-3 win over Chile. The Black Satellites completed a remarkable comeback in extra time and set up a final four clash with new tournament favourites France on Wednesday.

The first goal came after 11 minutes with a strike that is sure to feature in the goal of the tournament competition. Ghana took the lead with 16-year-old prodigy Moses Odjer the player responsible. Frank Acheampong lofted in a cross, Odjer controlled with his chest and stepped forward onto the dropping ball, waited for it to reach the perfect height and drove a beautifully struck right-foot volley into the goal.

Chile always looked threatening on the counter attack and midway through the first half they levelled the score with an equally spectacular goal. Christian Bravo created it, Nicolas Castillo finished it. Bravo stole possession in midfield and played in Castillo at an angle inside the box. The striker lashed a rocket of a shot, sent crashing into the roof of the net at Eric Antwi’s near post.

Ghana were stunned and four minutes later, they found themselves 2-1 down. Angelo Henriquez was the player to punish the Africans on this occasion, holding off and spinning his marker before drilling a low right-foot shot just inside the post from 20 yards.

Going in 2-1 down at the break, Ghana returned out and responded well in the second half, and the pressure finally told with 18 minutes remaining. Clifford Aboagye cut inside from the right and smartly flicked incisive outside-of-the-foot pass through to Assifuah to finish.

Neither side could find that winning goal within the normal 90 minutes so an additional 30 was needed, and it was Henriquez scored for the second time inside extra time. Springing the Ghana offside trap, the Manchester United man stretched to reach a chipped through ball from Claudio Baeza and looped a perfect header over the stranded Antwi.

However, the excitement was not over yet and with seven minutes of extra time remaining, Ghana went on to level the game up again. Oboagye threaded another pass through for Seidu Salifu to slot home. Amazingly one minute into extra-time stoppage time, Ghana’s incredible comeback was complete with the last attack of the game when a catastrophic breakdown in communication on Chile’s line allowed Assifuah’s tame header to slip over the line.

———-