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Played
January 28, 2012 2:00 PM EST
Stade de Franceville (new) — Franceville
Referee: D. Haïmoudi
January 28, 2012 2:00 PM EST
Stade de Franceville (new) — Franceville
Referee: D. Haïmoudi
Ghana 2-0 Mali: Black Stars shoot down Eagles to qualify for quarterfinals
The pre-tournament favorite has picked up its slot at the knockout stage maintaining a clean sheet with a last group game on hand
By Kent Mensah
Ghana has qualified to the quarterfinals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations after having beaten Mali 2-0 courtesy of Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew at the Franceville Stadium on Saturday.
Both goals came in the second half after the two sides had battled it out in a tense but physical first half that saw few attempts at goal.
The Al Ain marksman Gyan finally broke the deadlock in a tight game with a superb curl from a free kick that flew over the Malian wall and landed straight into the top left corner of goalkeeper Soumbeila Diakite’s post.
The Eagles came close to equalizing in the 67th minute through Modibo Maiga when he jumped above the Black Stars defense but his header only shaved the top of goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey’s post to still keep Ghana in the lead.
The climax of the second west African derby of Group D arrived in the 73rd minute when a back heel from Gyan set up Olympique Marseille’s Ayew, who brilliantly turned two of his markers inside out and curled it low to the corner of the post of shot-stopper Diakite to double the lead of the four-time African champion.
Both teams started off with a great deal of respect to each other. It was a game characterized by tensed moments and physical challenges as both sides made few attempts at goal in the first half.
The first real chance surfaced when Ghana’s midfield creative force Kwadwo Asamoah unleashed a thunderbolt, which was parried by the Malian goalkeeper and Sulley Muntari’s rebound was off target.
The Udinese playmaker Asamoah was once again on hand for the Black Stars when he turned one of the Eagles’ guardsmen inside out, but his left-footed shot was too powerful for the ball to land in the net.
It was a half full of fouls and tight marking as the two west African countries looked determined to outdo each other.
With about seven minutes to the interval Cheick Tidiane Diabate took a breathtaking free kick that slammed off one post and onto the other despite Ghana’s shot-stopper Kwarasey spreading wide to cover the bottom right corner of his post. Abdou Traore was unlucky with his rebound that went a whisker away.
The two goals in the second half broke the silence at the Franceville Stadium in Gabon and were enough to give Ghana a berth in to the next stage of the continental showpiece.
Both goals came in the second half after the two sides had battled it out in a tense but physical first half that saw few attempts at goal.
The Al Ain marksman Gyan finally broke the deadlock in a tight game with a superb curl from a free kick that flew over the Malian wall and landed straight into the top left corner of goalkeeper Soumbeila Diakite’s post.
The Eagles came close to equalizing in the 67th minute through Modibo Maiga when he jumped above the Black Stars defense but his header only shaved the top of goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey’s post to still keep Ghana in the lead.
The climax of the second west African derby of Group D arrived in the 73rd minute when a back heel from Gyan set up Olympique Marseille’s Ayew, who brilliantly turned two of his markers inside out and curled it low to the corner of the post of shot-stopper Diakite to double the lead of the four-time African champion.
Both teams started off with a great deal of respect to each other. It was a game characterized by tensed moments and physical challenges as both sides made few attempts at goal in the first half.
The first real chance surfaced when Ghana’s midfield creative force Kwadwo Asamoah unleashed a thunderbolt, which was parried by the Malian goalkeeper and Sulley Muntari’s rebound was off target.
The Udinese playmaker Asamoah was once again on hand for the Black Stars when he turned one of the Eagles’ guardsmen inside out, but his left-footed shot was too powerful for the ball to land in the net.
It was a half full of fouls and tight marking as the two west African countries looked determined to outdo each other.
With about seven minutes to the interval Cheick Tidiane Diabate took a breathtaking free kick that slammed off one post and onto the other despite Ghana’s shot-stopper Kwarasey spreading wide to cover the bottom right corner of his post. Abdou Traore was unlucky with his rebound that went a whisker away.
The two goals in the second half broke the silence at the Franceville Stadium in Gabon and were enough to give Ghana a berth in to the next stage of the continental showpiece.
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Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Prince Oniangue
Midfielder Congo |
2 | 1 |
|
T. Mputu
Striker RD Congo |
2 | 0 |
|
Atusaye Nyondo
Striker Malawi |
2 | 0 |
|
A. Kaluyituka
Striker RD Congo |
2 | 0 |
|
Léger Djimrangar
Defender Chad |
2 | 0 |