Before the
match:
Nigeria have reached the
quarter finals not convincingly but still as the visible best team in their
group. But while Algeria and Liberia were too inconsistent in depth, Mali
had proved it is possible to stop the Supereagles and those had not looked
like being able to gear up. Several reports have been focussing on a certain
'laziness' in running and that is where Ghana want to to seek their chance.
Ghana are only here because
of a miracolous ending to their last group match with Burkina Faso. 'Supersub'
Boakye scored twice in the final minutes to turn around a match against
an inexperienced and nervous defence. But apart from those goals, harmlessness
in attack is the greatest concern of Ghana who have to replace their promising
midfielder Michael Essien because of injury. But maybe this harmlessness
is their chance: As the Supereagles tend to take defence very easy when
they have the feeling of superiority Ghana will have to wait for that moments
and score out of the blue. Otherwise: Nigeria are clear favorites.
sportsbook odds:
Nigeria go into the match
as 52% favorites (decimal odds 1.73), Ghana are rated 20/% (4.5), a draw
28% (3.2).
> more
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1st half:
-Nigeria in green, Ghana
in yellow, the brass band is playing, the drums are drumming but the stadium
is anything but full. Boakye is a starter for Ghana.
-Ghana tries to do some
running to cut space in midfield
-('6) Ghana conquer the
ball in midfield and start a quick counter attack, but eventually a striker
is too slow and loses the ball again
-('7) Finidi George tries
alone for Nigeria but his shot is 15 meters wide this first time
-the scene has anyway
shown the greater individual impact of Nigerians in attack. Ghana can only
come up against it by a team effort
-('12) rough Nigerian (Udeze?)
challenge on Boateng, close to a yellow card
-defenses are in control,
midfield game only
-('16) Nigeria: Lawal tries
from 30 meters but Adjei seizes the ball well
-('17) Nigeria: Kanu sets
up Finidi who from 17 targets the right corner from his view. But Adjei
with a good save. The ensuing corner brings more difficulties for the Ghanaian
defence.
-('18) Udeze sees yellow
as he stops a counter by a tactical foul in midfield
-Nigeria have taken over
midfield, winning one on one, and start attacks from there. The Ghana defence
does not look invincible.
-('21) Ghana: One on one,
Boateng gets past his defender and fires a shot against the outside of
the net from half right.
-the pitch looks some
better in this Bamako stadium than in other venues
-('26) Ghana: Boakye keeps
two defenders busy after a cross into the Nigerian penalty area
-('28) Nigerian Oronkwo
sees yellow, too
-Nigeria seem to apply
pressure in doses. the last minutes have been quiet but they might accelerate
on the opportunity
-(34) fatal casual error
in the Nigerian build up - Ghana counter and through ball on Boakye, Nigerian
keeper Shorunmu throws himself into the ball and rescues, he collides with
a defender and loses conciousness as it seems. Ghana could have played
on, but a great gesture, they play the ball out. Shoronmu is carried off,
he is going to be substituted
-('38) match still interrupted
#22 Akanji will come on for Shoronmu who had to pay for the arrogance of
his defenders and seems to have to be transported away by ambulance (he
seems to be awake)
-('39) Ghana: #9 Amoako
fires from 20 meters, but wide, Nigeria answer with a long cross on Aghahowa
who attempts a header which fades without effect
-('41) Nigeria: A Lawal
free kick from almost 30 meters forces Ghanas Hearts Of Oak keeper Adjei
to another save
-('43) both defnces successfully
intercept attacking attempts
-('44) Nigeria: a quickly
executed free kick leads to a cross on Aghahowa who has a golden opportunity,
but his header goes wide by a narrow margin.
Nigeria show they are
ready to punish any lack of concentration of the Ghanaian defence. This
could, maybe shoul, have been a goal.
halftime 0:0
Both came into the match
with an average of scoring a goal every 135 minutes.
1st half:
-('49) Nigeria: dangerous
low sharp free kick cross from the right, deflected by Aghahowa in direction
on the goal, and another good save by Adjei
-('51) Nigeria with some
good pressure as they look superior one on one for some minutes again
-('53) Adjei makes no mistake
at a 20 meter attempt by Okocha
-('55) Adjei is well alerted
and intercepts a through ball easily
-('58) Ghana: #21 Pantsil
tries from 20 but 5 meters wide
-('59) Nigeria: two shhoting
attempts (Lawal, Okocha) from promising situation blocked by Ghanaian defenders
-('61) Nigeria:Aghahowa
with a fine move and an immediate shot from 16 meters. But it goes across
the bar by about 30 centimeters
-It does not look like
Ghana can get away without a goal conceded
-('65) Ghana: aBoateng fires
in a low cross from the left hand side and the Nigerian keeper dioes well
to pluck it from the foot of Emmanuel Kuffour
-('66) Ghana: Boakye fires
a long range free kick into the clouds
-('69) Nigeria waste a good
counter situation casually, Ghana answer by a half dangerous attempt
-('71) Nigeria play out
the defence, Okocha sets up Lawal and Adjei makes a dramatic save against
what had already written goal all over it
-('73) Adjei has 'taken'
a 90 second injury time out as 'reward'
-('74) Nigeria attacking
again: Adjei saves a tricky curved free kick by Okocha from 23 meters
-('79) Nigeria counter attack:
Aghahowa runs away from his defender, a cross to Kanu who is in goal scoring
position but his direct attempt is too high and goes over the bar. A huge
opportunity.
-('80) Nigeria: One minute
later it is Aghahowa again, he cuts inside into the penalty area, his cross
is intercepted this time but the clearance is bad and finds the feet of
unchallended Lawal who fires directly from 22 meters. Adjei has no chance
as the low shot crashes into the net - 1:0
-('83) Nigeria: Adjei saves
a dangerous low free kick by Oliseh
-('88) Ghana: #20 Ibrahim
shoots from 22 meters, wide. ghana bring on Duah as substitute
-(90+1) Nigeria substitute
Finidi George and Okocha by Aiyegbeni and Oruma to eat some time
-(90+3) Ghana: miserable
execution of a last free kick opportunity from the left hand side
final score 1:0
Garba Lawal, who has become
more and more influential on teh Nigerian team during the last matches
has scored the lone goal for 'minimalists' Nigeria against a nice playing
but teethless Ghana side with a very good goalkeeper.
match data as published
by CAF Online:
Referee: Mohammed Guezzaz
(Morocco)
Ass. Referees: Ali Tomusange
(TAN), Brighton Mudzamiri (ZIM)
Scorers: Garba Lawal
80
Attendance: 25,000
Teams:
Nigeria: 1-Ike Shorunmo
(22-Murphy Akanji 38); 2-Joseph Yobo, 6-Taribo West, 5-Isaac Okoronkwo,
14-Ifeanyi Udeze, 15- Sunday Oliseh, 10-Austin Okocha (16-Wilson Oruma
90), 7-Finidi George (8-Yakubu Aiyegbeni 90), 11-Garba Lawal, 17-Julius
Aghahowa, 4-Nkwanko Kanu
Ghana: 12-Sammy Adjei;
6-Yaw Amankwah Mireku, 19-Kofi Amponsah, 5-John Mensah, 21-John Painstill,
15-Princeton Owusu- Ansah, 20-Abdul Razak Ibrahim, 9-Prince Amoako (16-Emmanuel
Duah 88), 3-Emmanuel Kuffour, 10-Derrick Boateng (7-Matthew Amoah 88) 13-Isaac
Boakye
Cautions:
Nigeria: 14- Udeze 17,
5 Okoronkwo 28
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