Ghana - Cameroon 1:1
Before the match:
A big game to start the
Nations Cup with. Cameroon with the arguably strongest team since at least
eigth years ago and Ghana with a new generation expected to regain the
impact their football once had. With at least one other dangerous team
in the group, Côte d'Ivoire, a possible loser of this match will
be under pressure early.
Stats:
Ghana
1-Richard Kingston, 4-Samuel
Kuffour, 5-Stephen Baidoo, 6-Mohammed Gargo (8-Mark Edusei, 55), 21-Alex
Nyarko, 11-Augustine Ahinful (17-Peter Ofori-Quaye, 31), 10-Charles Akonnor,
14-Christian Gyan, 15-Samuel Johnson, 9-Kwame Ayew, 20-Otto Addo (16-Stephen
Appiah, 67)
Cameroon
1-Boukar Alioum, 12-Laurent
Mayer, 4-Rigobert Song, 5-Raymond Kalla, 3-Pierre Wome, 6-Pierre Njanka,
8-Geremi Njitap, 17-Marc-Vivien Foe, 20-Salomon Olembe (13-Lucien Mettomo,
81), 21-Joseph-Desire Job (11-Pies Ndiefi, 64), 10-Patrick Mboma (9-Samuel
Eto'o, 80)
0:1 Foe ('19) 1:1 Ayew ('57)
1st half summary:
A packed stadium and the
crowd is excited by some first elegant moves of the hometeam.
Early in the ('6) minute
Ghana shows defensive weaknesses and Cameroon #17 Marc-Vivian Foe trips
over the goalkeeper. Referee decides play on.
('7) First yellow card after
a bad foul against Ghana #20 Otto Addo
('8) Camerron dangerous
after a throw-in
('9) Spectacular tackle
by Ghana #14 Christian Gyan
('12) and (16) Ghana #21
Nyarko and Otto Addo both try shooting but don't come close to the target
('19) 0:1 Foe header
after a Job dribbling along the left wing and a Mboma?shot against the
croosbar
('24) Critical situation
after a Cameroon cormer but Ghanaian kepper cratches the ball off the line
('30) Oforiquaye comes in
for Ahinful
('34) another inaccurate
attempt, this time by Christian Gyan
('36) huge opportunity for
Cameroon ehen Job shoots across the bar from 5 m
('37) dangerous Cameroon
counter attack after offside trap failed, keeper rescues against Mboma
and Job
('41) Otto Addo who has
become weaker against the physical Camerroon attacks loses ball and a big
opportunity for Job is denied by the keeper
('43) almost opportunity
for Ghana
('45) Cameroon #20 Olembe
outplays the intimidated defense of Ghana but in front of the goal scares
and shoots wide
('injury time) an Otto Addo
dribbling is stopped by foul play but Akonnor shoots the 25m freekick into
the wall
('injury time) a header
by Mboma across the ball
A good match in which the
confidence has completely shifted since the Cameroon goal. There are some
problems in the Ghana defence and organisation.
Halftime 0:1
2nd half summary:
('47) Opportunity for Ghana
#9 Ayew deflected
('49) unbelievable: Cameroon
#21 Job conquers the ball, runs with it and shoots from half left, keeper
saves, ball bounces off, and Mboma 3 meters in front of the empty goal,
irritated a little by a defender, tips the ball across the bar
('52) Otto Addo conquers
the ball, but the Cameroon defence stands better positioned
('57) 1:1 brilliant
out of nothing goal: Ayew scores after a a fast passing sequence involving
#4 Kuffour and #17 Oforiquaye
('61) Another dangerous
attempt by Cameroon, keeper comes out and saves, Kuffour is knocked out
for a minute but plays on
('63) Ghana: Ayew header
into the arms of the keeper
('64)('65) Ghana: A pair
of dangerous corners
('66) 2 big scenes for Ghana:
Nyarko through ball on Otto Addo, good shot keeper saves, following corner
triggers another situation in which he rescues
The confidence is definetively
back in The Ghana game, but Cameroon is still strong in 1 vs. 1 situations
('71) Ghana: Johnson shot
no problem for the keeper
('79) Ghana: fine passing
sequence but the last ball inaccurate and the resulting shot with no harm
Ghana starts to develop
what they often lack: a fast 1-touch passing game
('81) Cameroon another of
the dangerous throw-ins by Geremi Njitap
('84) huge opp. for Ghana
after a loose ball finds Ofori-Quaye who fires against the keeper from
close
('85) Cameroon: substitute
#9 Eto'o heads against the crossbar after another of the dangerous Njitap
throw-ins. Kuffour who does not look good here puts the blame on the keeper
for not coming out.
('89) Cameroon: another
spell silences the crowd.
Final result 1:1
The match could have ended
anyway but if there was a stronger team deserving to win it was definitively
Cameroon. Ghana looked quite weak in defence but might develop more impact
in attack when the opponents are not the strong challengers of Cameroon. |