Teams
Ghana: 16-Fatau Dauda; 4-John Pantsil, 15-Isaac Vorsah, 21-John Boye, 23-Harrison Afful; 8-Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, 10-Albert Adomah, 11-Rabiu Mohammed, 20-Kwadwo Asamoah; 22-Mubarak Wakaso, 3-Asamoah Gyan
Mali: 1-Mamadou Samassa; 2-Fousseiny Diawara, 3-Adama Tamboura, 4-Adama Coulibaly, 21-Mahamadou Ndiaye; 6-Momo Sissoko, 20-Sambia Diakite, 12-Seydou Keita, 17-Mahamane Traore; 11-Sigamary Diarra, 9-Cheick Tidiane Diabate
Referee: Noumandiez Doue (Ivory Coast).
Updated
Preamble:
You join us as each side is paying homage to their national anthem and, if you want my opinion, Mali have the edge on that front, with their tune being a purposeful, strident number that tells you you're dealing with people who'll brook no guff. That's pretty much how their team plays too. Ghana, well, who knows how they'll play? The line-up below may not show it, but word is Kwadwo Asamoah, the skillful Juventus midfield, is again to be deployed at left-back, as he was in the first game, leaving the Black Stars with a gaping creativity void in the middle. This is a game they could do with winning and simply must not lose if they are to avoid an embarrassing first-round exit.
1 min:
Mali kick off, resplendent in yellow. QPR fans may be interested to note that Samba Diakité has been added to their side since their opening day victory over Niger. And he hasn't fouled anyone yet.
3 min:
Diarra lumps a freekick into the box but it's misguided and Ghana easily clear. No pattern to proceedings as yet, lots of mid-paced huff and puff.
6 min:
A mix-up in the Ghanaian defence as Boye leaves t he ball for Dauda, who handles out his box. The ref decides against showing him a red card, settling for a yellow, much to the relief of the keeper. Freekick to Mali from 18 yards. Ghana erect a nine-man wall.
7 min:
Traoré seemed to be shaping to shoot, but Keita took everyone by surprise and sneaked a foxy low curler around the wall ... and just past the post!
9 min:
Asamoah, you may or may not care to know, appears to be playing in midfield, after all. But he's not getting much of the ball, as the game remains scrappy.
11 min:
Gyan, all on his lonesome up front, has got no change out of the Malian centrebacks so far, mainly because the passing towards him is aimless and playing into the hands, or rather the heads, of the defence.
13 min:
RIght on cue, Gyan gets a pass to feet and, despite Tamboura's attempt to tear his shorts off, manages to get in a shot from 16 yards. It's deflected behind for a corner, which is subsequently cleared by Samassa.
16 min:
Dreadful set-pieces deliveries have been a general feature of this tournament, and Wakaso has just produced one of the worst of the genre.
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