[ 2012-01-28 ]

Ghana beat Mali to leave Group D on a knife edge 01-28-2012
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.

Source - cafonline

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