Saturday January 28, 2012 Group Stage: Group D Finished Stade de Franceville

Ghana 2 - 0 Mali

  • Gyan 63’
  • Ayew 76’

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  1. African Cup of Nations - Ghana beat Mali

    African Cup of Nations - Ghana beat Mali

    Asamoah Gyan’s superb free-kick helped Ghana to a 2-0 African Cup of Nations Group D victory over Mali at the Stade de Franceville in Gabon. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Ghana
    • Mali
    • FT There goes the final whistle and it's finished Ghana 2-0 Mali
    • 90+4' GHANA SUB: Annan off, Boateng on.
    • 90+3' Takyi's sliding challenge hands Mali a free-kick midway inside Ghana's half.
    • 90+2' Ghana are preparing to bring on their final substitution to wind down the clock - but there might not be time.
    • 90+1' Ghana are happy to let Mali have the ball, sitting back and soaking up the pressure. The Black Stars know the game is won.
    • 90' There will be four minutes of added time.
    • 88' GHANA SUB: Asamoah makes way for Inkoom.
    • 87' Ayew's father, Abedi Pele, is Ghana's all-time record scorer having netted 33 times in his international career.
    • 86' The box is packed with yellow Mali shirts but Traore fails to find one with his corner.
    • 84' MALI: Traore is replaced by Sow.
    • 83' Dembele does well to win a corner and there's a brief spat between with Boye but the referee steps in to quickly calm things down.
    • 81' Mali face Botswana in their final game on Tuesday, while Ghana will play Guinea.
    • 80' Paintsil's header back is a risky one but Kwarasey is wise to it.
    • 77' Mali continue to press and Dembele nearly connects but sees the ball drift just over his head.
    • 76' MALI SUB: Maiga off, Yatabare on.
    • 75' GOAL! Ayew doubles Ghana's advantage! Gyan flicks the ball to Ayew and, after turning his marker inside out, the Marseille striker slots home!
    • 74' Ghana win a free-kick 30 yards from goal but it's fired straight at Kante, who clear for Mali.
    • 73' Mali corner. Mensah gets up well to head clear. The ball's then delivered back into the box but Paintsil's fouled and Ghana are handed a free-kick.
    • 72' Boye is stretchered off. It looks like the Rennes' defender will have to be replaced.
    • 71' Boye looks to be in some pain after a challenge with Dembele.
    • 70' Four team have already qualified for the quarter finals - Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.
    • 68' Maiga really should have hit the target there...
    • 67' So close! The unmarked Maiga rises to meet the corner but heads over!
    • 66' Keita curls a free-kick into the box which is nodded behind for a corner.
    • 65' Mali have really struggled to get going in this second half and look a tired side.
    • 64' MALI SUB: Diabate is replaced by Dembele.
    • 63' GOAL! Gyan makes the breakthrough with a superb side-footed free-kick which flies into the top corner!
    • 62' Bakaye Traore is booked after bringing down Ayew, who deceived the Mali midfielder with a sharp turn.
    • 61' Badu chips in the free-kick but it's overhit and goes behind for a goal-kick. What a waste.
    • 60' Ghana win a free-kick in a dangerous position, 35 yards from goal in the right channel.
    • 59' GHANA SUB: Muntari makes way for Takyi.
    • 55' Ayes finds space after a lovely one-two and goes for goal, Diakite spills the shot but recovers to bravely smother the loose ball with two Ghana players ready to pounce!
    • 54' Muntari lines up the free-kick but his effort goes well over.
    • 53' Ayew looks to break from midfield with pace but is brought down by Diakite, who is duly shown a yellow card. That's the third of the second half already.
    • 52' Pantsil is booked.
    • 51' Asamoah does well to keep the ball in play on the right flank but slightly overhits his cross.
    • 50' Diabate looks to peel off the back of Mensah but is offside.
    • 48' Tamboura goes into the referee's notebook for leaving a foot in on Ayew.
    • 47' Can either side make the breakthrough?
    • 46' Mali get the second half underway.
    • HT The referee blows up for full-time and it's Ghana 0-0 Mali at the break.
    • 45+2' Ayew rises well and tries to glance a header into the far corner but it goes just wide!
    • 45+1' There will be two minutes of added time.
    • 45' Diabate wants a corner and it looks like he's right as replays shows the ball went behind off the head of Mensah but the ref points for a goal-kick.
    • 43' You can watch every African Cup of Nations game on Eurosport Player.
    • 42' Diabate looks to latch onto a through-ball but Ghana keeper Kwarasey is quick off his line to gather the loose ball.
    • 40' Barcelona man Keita is shown a yellow card for persistent fouling.
    • 39' Diakite had no chance there and Mali can consider themselves very unlucky not to be ahead.
    • 38' So close! Diabate's free-kick crashes off one post, runs along the line and hits the other post, before Traore skies the follow-up!
    • 37' Mensah jumps in with a late challenge and is the first player to go into the book. Ghana have sight of goal from the resulting free-kick, 25 yards out in a central position.
    • 35' Asamoah twists and turns on the edge of the box and unleashes a powerful shot but it ends up well wide.
    • 34' Gyan has struggled to assert himself on the game so far.
    • 33' Pantsil looks to play in Gyan but Kante steps in front of the Ghana striker to clear.
    • 32' The game continues to be played out in midfield, with neither keeper really tested yet.
    • 30' Mali have been knocked out of the African Cup of Nations in the group stages in the past two tournaments.
    • 29' Ayew's brought down on the halfway line to give Ghana a free-kick. That gives Mali the chance to get everyone behind the ball, however.
    • 28' Ghana embark on a one-touch move but Kante steps in to clear for Mali.
    • 27' Mali free-kick. Traore delivers a deep cross which fails to find a yellow shirt. That's a waste. Goal-kick.
    • 25' Diakite spills Asamoah's long-range effort and Muntari gets to the ball first to follow up but fires wide under pressure.
    • 24' Kwarasey comes again and completely misses the ball this time but Diabate is unable to direct his header on target and the ball goes behind for a goal-kick.
    • 23' Mali win a free-kick on the right flank; Traore sends in a looping cross which Kwarasey unconvincingly punches behind for a corner.
    • 22' You can see the Group D standings here.
    • 21' Ayew cuts inside from the right but is dispossessed with a well-timed challenge from Tamboura.
    • 20' The game's fallen a little flat, with both sides cancelling eachother out.
    • 19' If two teams are tied on points at the end of the group stages then the head-to-head result is the first deciding factor.
    • 17' Neither side can fully assert their dominance but Ghana are just about shading possession.
    • 16' Asamoah tries an ambitious flick to play in Gyan but it's cut out and Mali clear.
    • 15' Gyan clips a cross into the box but fails to find his man.
    • 14' Gyan turns his man on the edge of the box but the ball runs away from the former Sunderland striker and Diakite is quick off his line to gather.
    • 13' Keita's taken a knock but the Barcelona man is soon back to his feet.
    • 12' Ghana finished second in the 2010 African Cup of Nations, losing 1-0 to Egypt in the final.
    • 10' Maiga beats his man and gets to the byline but tries to pull off one trick to many and is held up by Annan. who forced the ball out for a goal-kick.
    • 9' Mali break, with Maiga exchanging passes with Traore but the move breaks down and Muntari forces a foul to relieve the pressure for Ghana.
    • 7' Gyan's the target but the corner's overhit and it drifts behind for a goal-kick.
    • 6' Ghana are dominating the early possession and win their second corner of the match.
    • 5' Ghana and Mali were drawn in the same qualifying group ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, with the Black Stars drawing at home and winning the away game en-route to reaching the finals.
    • 4' There's a fabulous atmosphere at the Stade de Franceville. Don't forget, this is a west African derby so there's plenty of pride at stake!
    • 3' Ghana win an early corner but Berthe rises well to powerfully head clear.
    • 2' Mali's best African Cup of Nations result saw The Eagles finish second in 1972.
    • 1' And we're off! Ghana get the game underway...
    • 18:55 Ghana: Kwarasey, Pantsil, Boye, Mensah, Asamoah, Annan, Muntari, Agyemang Badu, Masahudu, Ayew, Gyan… Subs: Takyi, Tagoe, Inkoom, Boateng, Addy, Agyei, Ayew, Opare, Sowah, Abu /// Mali: S Diakite, D Diakite, Berthe, Kante, Tamboura, Keita, S Diakite, B Traore, A Traore, Maiga, Diabate… Subs: Dembele, Sissoko, Yatabare, O Coulibaly, Sow, Maiga, Sogoba, I Coulibaly, Ndiaye, Keita, Kone
    • 18:50 Ghana are second favourites behind the Ivory Coast to win the tournament and have previously walked away with the trophy on four occassions (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982). Will the Black Stars end their 20 year wait in 2012?
    • 18:45 Earlier today, Guinea revived their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals by hammering ten-man Botswana 6-1 Guinea thump Botswana
    • 18:40 Meanwhile, Mali beat Guinea 1-0 courtesy of Stuttgart winger Ibrahima Traore's goal. Traore strike downs Guinea
    • 18:35 Both sides recorded 1-0 victories in the opening fixtures, with John Mensah scoring and then getting sent off in Ghana's victory over Botswana. Ghana open with nervy win
    • 18:30 Welcome to LIVE text commentary of the African Cup of Nations Group D clash between Ghana and Mali.

  • Summary

    • 75' GOAL! Ayew doubles Ghana's advantage! Gyan flicks the ball to Ayew and, after turning his marker inside out, the Marseille striker slots home!
    • 67' So close! The unmarked Maiga rises to meet the corner but heads over!
    • 63' GOAL! Gyan makes the breakthrough with a superb side-footed free-kick which flies into the top corner!
    • 55' Ayes finds space after a lovely one-two and goes for goal, Diakite spills the shot but recovers to bravely smother the loose ball with two Ghana players ready to pounce!
    • 38' So close! Diabate's free-kick crashes off one post, runs along the line and hits the other post, before Traore skies the follow-up!
    • 35' Asamoah twists and turns on the edge of the box and unleashes a powerful shot but it ends up well wide.
    • 25' Diakite spills Asamoah's long-range effort and Muntari gets to the ball first to follow up but fires wide under pressure.
    • 18:55 Ghana: Kwarasey, Pantsil, Boye, Mensah, Asamoah, Annan, Muntari, Agyemang Badu, Masahudu, Ayew, Gyan… Subs: Takyi, Tagoe, Inkoom, Boateng, Addy, Agyei, Ayew, Opare, Sowah, Abu /// Mali: S Diakite, D Diakite, Berthe, Kante, Tamboura, Keita, S Diakite, B Traore, A Traore, Maiga, Diabate… Subs: Dembele, Sissoko, Yatabare, O Coulibaly, Sow, Maiga, Sogoba, I Coulibaly, Ndiaye, Keita, Kone

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Ghana

    Manager: Goran Stevanovic

  • Mali

    Manager: Alain Giresse

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      5.8 6
      Defenders
      Yellow Card 5.5 6
      Yellow Card 5.3 6
      5.6 5
      Substitution Out89′ 6.2 7
      Midfielders
      Substitution Out90′ 5.6 7
      5.6 6
      Goal 8.1 8
      5.4 6
      Substitution Out59′ 5.5 5
      Strikers
      Goal 6.7 8
      Subs
      Substitution In59′ 5.3 6
      Substitution In89′ 8 6
      Substitution In90′ 10 -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      5.8 5
      Defenders
      6 6
      5.1 6
      5.9 6
      Yellow Card 5.9 5
      Midfielders
      Yellow Card 6.1 7
      Yellow Card 5.9 6
      Substitution Out86′ 5.9 5
      Yellow Card 5.8 7
      Substitution Out77′ 6.1 5
      Strikers
      Substitution Out65′ 6.3 7
      Subs
      Substitution In65′ 5 6
      Substitution In77′ 5 6
      Substitution In86′ 5 6

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