TheCable

COME-FROM-BEHIND WIN GIVES GHANA QF TICKET

The Black Stars of Ghana came back from the brink of elimination with two goals in the last 17 minutes to beat South Africa 2-1 and make the Orange Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

Substitute John Boye scored from close range in the 73rd minute and Andre Ayew headed home 10 minutes later for a victory that took Ghana from exiting the tournament to qualifying as winners of Group C.

The four-time champions were heading out of the competition up until the 73rd minute, Bafana Bafana going ahead through a stunning volley from Mandla Masango. But a desperate Ghana turned it around in the second half at Mongomo Stadium.

As it stands, Ghana will face second-placed Mali, but with every team on two points and the drama showing no signs of slowing down, they could face any of Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon or Guinea instead.

Line-up

South Africa: Khuzwayo, Ngcongca, Matlaba, Coetzee, Mathoho, Furman, Jali, Masango, Phala, Rantie, Ndulula

Ghana: Brimah, Afful, Rahman, Amartey, Mensah, Acquah, A. Ayew, Wakaso, Atsu, Gyan, J. Ayew

ALGERIA BOOK KNOCKOUT TICKET

Goals from Riyad Mahrez and Nabil Bentaleb put Algeria into the quarter-finals of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations at the expense of Senegal.

Algeria had to settle for second place after Ghana came from behind to beat South Africa.

Bentaleb scored the second goal from outside the box to seal the win nine minutes from time, and send the Algerian fans into delirium.

The Desert Foxes were worthy of the win as they survived the physical Senegalese onslaught far better than Ghana and South Africa had managed when they meet the Lions of Teranga.

And, with their long-ball tactics producing next to nothing, Senegal had little else to offer, particularly after Sadio Mane, by far their most creative player, was withdrawn in 65th minute.

Line-up

Senegal: Coundoul, Djilobodji, Mbodji, L. Sané; Mbengue, Guèye, Kouyaté, Badji; Kouly Diop, Mané, Diouf

Algeria: Mbolhi, Ghoulam, Medjani, Bougherra, Mandi, Bentaleb, Taider, Mahrez, Feghouli, Brahimi, Soudani

DAY 12 FIXTURES

JANUARY 28

Group D

Guinea v Mali

Cameroon v Cote d’Ivoire

AFCON NEWS!

Quarter-finals moved due to pitch concerns

The Africa Nations Cup quarter-finals, coming up this weekend in Equatorial Guinea, have been moved away from Ebebiyin and Mongomo due to concerns over the pitches.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Tuesday in Malabo that Saturday’s quarter-final between the host nation and Tunisia has been shifted to Bata.

The match was earlier scheduled for the 5,000-capacity Estadio de Ebebiyin.

CAF said the match would be played as the second match in a double-header, also involving the derby between Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

It said Sunday’s quarter-final in Mongomo, between the Group C winners and Group D runners-up, would now be played as the opening match of two at the Estadio de Malabo.

Furman: We stopped playing

South Africa captain, Dean Furman, says they stopped playing the football that has done them good in the last two games.

Bafana Bafana took the lead but let it slip and missed out qualifying for the quarterfinals of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

“We’ve made the mistake three times, we’ve taken the lead brilliantly and then we’ve allowed the other team into the game, we’ve dropped too deep, we allow the other team to advance into our half and that’s proved costly for us,” Furman said.

“I thought we had good moments but not as good, as the previous two games, the second half we were poor in possession, we gave the ball away a lot and maybe because there was so much on the line, we started splashing at things.

“We stopped playing the football that’s been so good for us over the last two games and we kept giving the ball away and when you do that, you going to invite pressure, Ghana are a good side and they made us pay.”

Grant: Ghana worthy winners

Ghana coach, Avram Grant, said that his side were worthy winners after a 2-1 success against South Africa took them through to the last eight of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana trailed 1-0 in Mongomo but came back to triumph thanks to goals from John Boye and Andre Ayew and go through as Group C winners. And Grant said they deserved the win.

“We started the match very well with two or three good chances. We had the match in our hands. I am very happy that the players showed, just as in their last match, a good spirit and good attitude,” he said.

“We deserve it because South Africa were not better than us. We have finished first in the group of death, which is not bad. After losing the first match we showed great attitude in the second and continued along the same lines today.”

Ghana will now face the runners-up in Group D in Malabo on Sunday.

Ghana ‘can take on anyone’, says Gyan

Ghana captain, Asamoah Gyan, has declared that the Black Stars would not fear anyone after reaching the quarter-finals of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana beat South Africa 2-1 to book a place in the next round and will face Group D runners-up on Sunday.

“With this team we can take on anyone in this competition,” he said.

“I have played at five cups of nations, but this group was the hardest.

“We were very strong mentally, even after conceding the first goal. We kept believing and fought to the end knowing that we could win.”

Mashaba: We Gave It Away Again

Bafana Bafana coach, Shakes Mashaba, says his side needs the ability to kill off games after the 2-1 loss to Ghana.

South Africa took the lead in all three of their group games and failed to win none of them and ‘Shakes’ believes his side sat back too deep in the loss to the Black Stars.

“I think we gave it away again, for us to come out, score a goal and we couldn’t consolidate,” Mashaba said.

“In the first half after we scored, we took the game to them, that’s why they couldn’t come, the biggest fall came out in the first 10 minutes of the second half, everybody went to sit back, all nine players sitting, we tried to push them up, we made changes, it didn’t work out.”

Mashaba now proposed going back to the provervial drawing board.

“I think we need to go back to our basics of playing football, knowing when to do things, how to do things, and where to do them,” he said.

“You need that ability to kill a game, that is one of the things I am talking about when we I talk about the basics.

“Why rush when you’re one goal up, buy time, at that time you could have seen they were on a high, what should have was to kill the game, but we were knocking it back to them and they came at us and that’s where the problem was.”

GOURCUFF: We need to improve

Favourites Algeria qualified for the quarter finals after a 2-0 win over Senegal in a Group A tie.

Despite the win, head coach Christian Jean Gourcuff is not a happy man and thinks the team must improve if they are to reach far in the competition.

“We won the game, but we did not play well,” he said.

Riyad Mahrez and Nabil Bentaleb scored the goals to send the Desert Fennecs to the last eight.

“We are not the champions and if we want to become champion, then we must improve.

“I think the defenders and goalkeeper really kept us in this game today, but we must improve because we have now gone to the knock out stage,” he said.

To reach the last eight Algeria started with a 3-1 win over South Africa before suffering a 1-0 loss to Ghana.