Ghana duo Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew lit up the eighth day at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday to push the Black Stars virtually through the door opening into the knockout stage.
Ayew, son of the African legend “Pele” Ayew and the BBC Africa Footballer of the Year, and Gyan earned the 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists a 2-0 win over Mali to leave them heading Group D with six points.
However, the group will go down to the wire as any one of their three rivals — Guinea, Mali or even pointless Botswana — could still theoretically bag a last-eight place.
Photo: Reuters
The final throw of the dice for the Group D inmates comes on Wednesday with Ghana requiring just a draw from their encounter with Guinea in Franceville, Gabon, with Mali heading off to Gabon’s capital, Libreville, to face Botswana.
Gyan, who faced a race against injury to be fit, got Ghana off the mark in the 63rd minute when he curled a free-kick past goalkeeper Soumbeyla Diakite.
Then he was instrumental in the second when his back-heel in the 76th minute set up Ayew, who skillfully wrong-footed the Mali defense to unleash an unstoppable pile driver past Soumaila Diakite in the Mali goal.
“We had a few difficulties in the first half, but the boys showed strong character and we changed tactics and put pressure on them to make mistakes in the second half,” Gyan said. “This was a very important victory and we hope to continue to make Ghana proud.”
Ghana’s win followed a record-equaling performance by Guinea, who routed Botswana 6-1 in the first leg of the Group D double bill in Franceville.
Free-scoring Guinea matched the record victory margin for a Nations Cup game and they are only the third team after Egypt in 1963 and Ivory Coast in 1970 to have scored six goals in a tournament match.
Goals from Sadio Diallo, who got a double, Abdoul Camara, Ibrahima Traore, Mamadou Bah and Naby Soumah earned Guinea the lopsided win against a side that had been reduced to 10-men when Patrick Motsepe was red carded in first-half stoppage-time.
“We won 6-1, but football is never easy. No matter how many you goals score, you only get three points,” Guinea defender Bobo Balde said.
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