By El Akyereko Frimpong
Follow the writer on Twitter: @AkyerekOfficial
Ghanaian trio Sulley Muniru, Patrick Twumasi and Gideon Baah all got on target for their respective clubs in Wednesday night's Uefa Champions League.Â
Striker Twumasi enjoyed a bitter-sweet moment on the night as he was sent off in the game he scored to seal progress for his club, meaning he will miss both of Astana's next two games in the competition.
Midfielder Enock Adu Kofi was sent off for a picking two yellow cards within 90 minutes as Swedish Allsvenskan side turned the tie around at home to secure a 3-2 comeback success on aggregate over Red Bull Salzburg. While Adu had to leave the game before the final whistle, 18-year-old Ghana youth international David Atanga lasted till the second-half for the Austrian side.
Midfielder Sulley Muniru scored a 11th minute stunner for Romanian side Steaua Bucuresti as they slipped to a 4-2 loss at Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade. Though Muniru scored his second goal of the competition, it was not enough as Steaua crashed out of the competition on a 5-3 aggregate.
Crocked Ghana star Michael Essien got bad news as he watched his Panathinaikos side exit the competition following their 3-0 mauling at Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge. The injured former AC Milan and Chelsea star missed the game due to a groin problem which forced him to undergo the knife.
Aziz Tetteh also watched from the bench as his Lech Poznan side slipped to a 1-0 loss against Swiss giants FC Basel. Basel advanced on a 4-1 aggregate following an emphatic win from the first-leg.
Former Sogakope Red Bull Salzburg forward Patrick Twumasi earned the bragging rights over former Asante Kotoko defender Gideon Baah after helping Kazakhstan champions FC Astana reach the play-offs in dramatic fashion by beating HJK Helsinki with a late winner. Twumasi scored for Astana but was sent off while Baah though eliminated managed to keep his heads high with a goal for the Finnish side.
Baah had scored in the 42nd minute for the Finnish champions before Twumasi came to the party with a patent finish two minutes later, ensuring a brief moment of Ghanaian crossfire.