MTN Elite U-19: Abdulai Bashit hat-trick powers Upper West to 3-2

Abdulai Bashit scored a hat-trick as Upper West Region opened the MTN Elite U-19 Championship with a 3-2 victory over defending champions Eastern Region at the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence in Prampram on Tuesday. The result gives Upper West an early win in the second edition, while Eastern begin their title defence without a point.

Bashit put Upper West in front before Eastern responded through Adam Mohammed, who converted a penalty to bring the game level before half-time. The teams remained closely matched, but Bashit restored Upper West’s advantage after the interval.

The forward completed his hat-trick with another second-half goal, giving Upper West a two-goal cushion. Eastern continued to threaten and Mohammed scored a second penalty, cutting the deficit to one, but the champions could not find another equaliser before the final whistle.

Bashit’s three-goal performance also earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the match. His contribution gave Upper West the result against the holders and made the region one of the early winners on the opening day of the championship.

Ashanti Region also started with a victory, defeating Volta Region 5-4 in a penalty shootout after the teams finished 2-2 in regulation time. Ashanti took the lead in the sixth minute through Abdul Rahaman Bauh, but Zakaria Mohammed levelled for Volta.

Volta moved ahead in the 55th minute when Apetor Paris scored, only for Elvis Kwarteng to restore parity for Ashanti. The draw sent the match to penalties, where Ashanti converted enough chances to win 5-4 and secure a positive start to their campaign.