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Tuesday November 17, 2009

World Cup qualifiers Ghana given a fright by Mali

JOHANNESBURG: World Cup qualifiers Ghana fought back twice to draw 2-2 with Mali on Sunday in the last Africa group game for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Lassana Fane and Tenema Ndiaye were on target for the under-strength visitors, who were expected to push the Black Stars for a Cup place but finished a disappointing third behind Benin with Sudan last.

Matthew Amoah scored the first equaliser for Ghana and Anthony Annan the second six minutes from full-time at Baba Yaro Stadium in the central city of Kumasi.

After winning four consecutive matches to become the first African country to qualify apart from hosts South Africa, Ghana have taken their foot off the accelerator and lost in Benin last month.

A Black Stars line-up boasting star midfielders Michael Essien of Chelsea and Sulley Muntari of Inter Milan plus inspirational veteran Stephen Appiah of Bologna was expected to see off the Malian Eagles’ challenge.

Mali lost 2-0 at home to Ghana in the second round last June — a defeat that effectively ended their World Cup dreams — and lacked pivotal players Frederic Kanoute, Seydou Keita and Mohamed Sissoko in Kumasi.

The visitors knew only maximum points would clinch second place after Romuald Boco scored a second-half winner as Benin defeated Sudan 2-1 in Omdurman on Saturday.

Ghana, who included fullback Samuel Inkoom from the 2009 FIFA Youth World Cup-winning team, fell behind midway through the first half when Sudan-based Fane converted a free-kick.

As the home team pressed for an equaliser, Asamoah Gyan squandered a chance and an Amoah header rebounded off the crossbar with Mali goalkeeper and captain Mahamadou Sidibe beaten.

But the Ghanaian duo combined to create a 65th-minute equaliser with Amoah tapping a rebound into the net for his fifth goal of the qualifying competition after Sidibe spilled a Gyan shot.

Mali regained the lead within four minutes through an Ndiaye header and a similar effort by Muntari rebounded off the woodwork before Norway-based Annan punished slack marking to head the goal that salvaged a point.

Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria have also secured places at the first World Cup to be staged by Africa and Algeria or Egypt will fill the final berth tomorrow after a playoff in Sudan.

World Cup fixtures doubled as Af­rican Nations Cup eliminators and Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ca­­meroon, holders Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia will join hosts Angola at the Jan 10-31 tournament. — AFP

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