• Ghana beat Mali to leave Group D on a knife edge

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  • Ghana beat Mali 2-0 as Botswana went down 6-1 to Guinea.(Photo courtesy CAF)Ghana beat Mali 2-0 as Botswana went down 6-1 to Guinea.(Photo courtesy CAF)
Jan 29, 2012-

Ghana defeated Mali 2-0 here on Saturday night to leave Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations wide open after Guinea earlier hammered Botswana 6-1.

The 2010 World Cup participants are now top of the group on six points from two matches, while Guinea and their opening-day conquerors Mali are on three points, with all three teams still in the reckoning to advance to the knockout stage.

To add to the suspense, even point-less Botswana are not mathemetically out of contention. On Wednesday, Mali will battle Botswana in Libreville and Ghana take on Guinea in Franceville in the final throw of the Group D dice.

Star striker Asamoah Gyan opened the scoring for Ghana in the 63rd minute with a well-struck free-kick from the edge of the Mali box after Andre Ayew was brought down by Bakaye Traore.

Baby Jet Gyan had struggled with an ankle injury leading up to the game but Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic insisted on fielding the UAE-based star and it paid handsome dividends. Mali came close to restoring parity two minutes after Gyans opener through Sochaux forward Modibo Maiga, who perfectly met a header from a corner only for the ball to roll out for a goal-kick.

Ayew doubled Ghana's lead in the 76th minute when he was stylishly set up by Gyan on the edge of the Mali goal area and drove in to unleash an unstoppable pile-driver past Soumaila Diakite in the Mali goal.

This was a typical derby with no fewer than six bookings as both teams cancelled each other out in a packed midfield with tough tackles flying in all directions.

Big Mali striker Cheick Diabate proved in the first half to be a thorn in the flesh of the young Black Stars central defence of Jonathan Mensah and John Boye, playing in the absence of the more experienced John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah. It was a cagey start by both teams and it was not until the 25th minute that Asamoah Kwadwo made the first real attempt at goal.

The Udinese midfielder, who was starting his first game of the tournament, fired from distance only for Diakite to parry into the path of Sulley Muntari, who shot wide.

Ten minutes later, the same player blasted another fierce shot from the edge of the Mali goal area, but again it was off-target. On 38 minutes, Mali responded nicely with a Diabate free-kick on the edge of the box that struck both posts with diving Ghana goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey beaten.

In first-half additional time, Ayew rose above two Mali defenders to meet a cross from the right by stand-in skipper John Pantsil, but again it was off the mark. The hard-working Ayew then forced a fine save from the Mali goalkeeper with a low drive from well outside the box in the 54th minute.

 

Caf

 

 


  • Finals:
    12/02/2012Cote d'ivoire 0-0 (7-8 pen.) Zambia   
    Semi finals:
    08/02/2012 Ghana     0 - 1Zambia   
    08/02/2012  Mali     0 - 1Cote d'Ivoire    
    Quarter finals:
    04/02/2012  Sudan0 - 3Zambia   
    04/02/2012  E.Guinea3 - 0Cote d'Ivoire    
    05/02/2012  Gabon4-5(Pen)Mali   
    05/02/2012  Ghana2-1(ET)Tunisia  
        
     21/01/2012  E.Guinea1 - 0Libya    
    21/01/2012  Senegal1 - 2Zambia    
    25/01/2012  Libya2 - 2Zambia    
    25/01/2012  E.Guinea2 - 1Senegal    
     29/01/2012  E.Guinea0 - 1Zambia    
     29/01/2012  Libya2 - 1Senegal    
    22/01/2012  Cote d'Ivoire1 - 0Sudan    
    22/01/2012  Burkina Faso1 - 2Angola    
    26/01/2012  Sudan2 - 2Angola    
    26/01/2012  Cote d'Ivoire2 - 0Burkina Faso    
    30/01/2012  Sudan2 - 1Burkina Faso    
     30/01/2012  Cote d'Ivoire2 - 0Angola    
    23/01/2012  Gabon2 - 0Niger    
     23/01/2012  Morocco1 - 2Tunisia    
    27/01/2012  Niger1 - 2Tunisia    
    27/01/2012  Gabon3 - 2Morocco    
    31/01/2012  Gabon1 - 0 Tunisia    
    31/01/2012  Niger0 - 1Morocco    
     24/01/2012  Ghana1 - 0Botswana    
     24/01/2012  Mali1 - 0Guinea    
    28/01/2012  Botswana1 - 6Guinea    
    28/01/2012  Ghana2 - 0Mali    
    01/02/2012  Botswana1- 2Mali    
    01/02/2012  Ghana1- 1Guinea    
     
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