Ghana too good for Niger as Black Stars thrash Menas 3-0 to top Group B
Posted On Monday, 28th January 2013
Ghana cruised to the quarterfinals as Group B leaders after a comprehensive 3-0 thrashing of Niger in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
The win cleared doubts surrounding the Black Stars title winning credentials and confirmed their status as one of the firm favourites.
It has also set up a win against this year’s surprise package Cape Verde Islands-a side the Black Stars beat 1-0 in an international friendly in November last year.
Niger were the first to drop their statement of intent when skipper Moussa Maazou wheeled past the Ghana left-back Harrison Afful to send in a cross which was cleared away by Isaac Vorsah with a sliding effort.
The Black Stars kept their composure and kept pressing high up which yielded in a free-kick after Kwadwo Asamoah felled.
It took just six minutes for Ghana to find the opener through Gyan which happened to be his first of the tournament.
Albert Adomah did all the damage on the right wing before sending a cross which found Gyan inside the box and with a good first touch, he blasted past goalkeeper Dauoda Kassali.
Two minutes later, a long ball from midfield found Maazou but he failed to control inside the Ghana box with his head as the ball went over the touchline.
Ghana’s defence was called to duty once again and Boye delivered a nice clearance inside the box to deny Sidebe Modibo after a cross came in from Boubacar Talatou.
Referee Diata Badara disallowed a tenth minute goal from Niger as the centre man penalized Maazou for fouling Fatau Dauda who had gone in for a corner-kick but televison replay showed it was a legal challenge.
After a quarter of an hour play, Niger defender Mohammed Chicoto attempted a bicycle kick inside Ghana’s box which went wide.
The Black Stars went on to earn a free-kick courtesy Asamoah’s widzardry which was too much for Issiakou Koudize but Gyan curled a straight one for Kassali to grab.
On 23 minutes later, debutant Christian Atsu planted the second goal by finishing off an attack he began.
The FC Porto player raced with the ball before getting it to Gyan who drifted to the left and sent in a cross.
Atsu brough it down onto his chest and shrugged off a challenge before cooly stabbing it in for his first goal of the tournament.
Ghana twice went on the counter bfore the half-hour mark but nice interventions by the Niger backline prevented a goal harvest.
Maazou skipped past John Boye but his incisive cross went past the face of Ghana’s goal with nobody to connect. Striker Sidebe Modibo was late.
Again Maazou teed up Modibo with a back flick header but the latter was slow to react as Vorsah went in with a big-boot clearance.
Badu powerful shot cleared by Kassaly out-stretched left arm after a nice move from Kwadwo Asamoah.
A mix-up between Adomah and Rabiu on the counter denied Ghana the third goal for 2-0 lead at half-time.
Four minutes after the break, Asamoah sent in a free-kick which was knocked down by Gyan but Kassali spilled it and Boye connected the rebound for the third goal.
It was Boye’s first Nations Cup goal in two appearances at the finals.
In the 51st minute, another corner kick was not dealt with by Niger but Kassali was fast to clutch it this time round.
Maazou came in with a powerful header inside the Ghana box which was threatening but it was wide.
The Etoile du Sahel man cut in from the right but his cross swept past the face of Ghana’s goal and missed everybody including the goalkeeper few minutes later.
On 62 minutes, Atsu’s brilliance saw him slalom past his markers before releasing Gyan who shot feebly into the waiting arms of Kassali.
Another opportunity went to Gyan but he failed to connect Adomah’s prosaic cross from the right.
Substitute Solomon Asante stole a ball from midfield and raced inside the box, he set Asamoah who scooped it for Gyan but Al Ain striker’s decision to go for an overhead kick resulted in a foul.
Niger never gave up and piled pressure but Ghana’s defence was resolute and never gave anything away.
Ghana go into the last eight hugely motivated against the Blue Sharks on Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Source: MTNfootball.com
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our defence went to sleep at the start of the game or were they NERVOUS? Lets work on that.
Derek Boateng??? Thank God somebody has seen the wisdom in making him a supersub instead of a starter.
A.A please work on the passes of the forwards during counterattacks. GBstar…nosize.
a supersub or a shitsub
totally agree. He is not great. If Essien or Muntari was in the squad, Boateng won’t be in the Black Stars
Good job GBS. You won big in this your last winning match of the tournament. My advice is that you just go out there and defend against goals in your next match. You won all the 2 I predicted. You have no more wins.Am sorry.
Wonderful Kwame these are your words on a ghanasoccernet post:
“Ghana will win only 2 games. Oops! maybe those were the friendly matches played. You should all pray that is not the case. Then you will win your first two games. I saw in a vision, Ghana won first 2 games.
Ghana supporters are ungrateful. See how they treat their players when they are injured and cant play. You forget all the sacrifices they gave before. Ungrateful people. You will not win this cup. 4get about it. It is so obvious all the 3 Ayews are qualified but due to ungrateful haters…. Only two matches. Mark my words..,.,”
In your so-called vision, Ghana won their “first” two matches. In Ghana’s first two matches, Ghana drew the first and won the second. Your shambolic vision is that of an idiot you f–king baffoon. Go and ditch your head in the sands of Aflao beach you inconsiderate treacherous asshole
I personally don’t get the white jerseys, why do we wear white jerseys?where is the white in our national colours?we have to revert back to our RED,GOLD,GREEN with the BLACKK ON IT.Anytime we wear this,we seem to play well,the likes of Brazil,Argentina and Nigeria don’t just wear jerseys,they wear JERSEYS with believe,history and culture attached,white jersey??
*BLACK STAR on it*
masa you dont make sense. we r in 21st century put away this mediocrity. Where did the yellow jersey we used to wear take us? not even worldcup.
football no be jersey colour.
Sometimes I wonder where idiots such as you come from…what nonsense
White is a symbol of glory. The 1962 team wore all white with a black star infront and they won Ghana’s first title so I don’t see what’s wrong with wearing the white.
P.S. Jerseys don’t affect games.
Ghana first won the cup, back in 1963, not 1962. Just a reminder, not me trying to play the wise guy
In 1962, the trophy went to hosts Ethiopia.
Congratulations to Ghana for making it to the Quarters. The team looked very mean today. It will be difficult for the Cape Verdes to stop this mean machine! Chipolopolo4Life!
italy wear blue Jersey but there is no blue in their flag.the Germans wear White but there is no White in their flag..the Color of Jerseys doesnt Play football
3TA PUIE 3MA OBIAA 3NI OBI AT3M PUIE PUIE 3TA PUIE MEKOR
2nd choice jersey of england is black. Hey viper when in the history of football did jersey score a goal? You just pulled us back by a century.Please we dey go forward.
You are an idiot,when did jersey score goals…WE are talking about national colours.
If you see a team in yellow top and blue short playing,who do you think of Brazil and who care if England pink as their second jersey?
JUST FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @CYRIUSEDEVIRUZ I MADE A PICTURE FOR GBS
Always when we get to quarter final,semi-final and final that is where the going get bad for Ghana and I hope this yr with the left of only three matches our players should try as match as they can to bring the cup home, my greeting to capito Asamoah Gyan
Congrats Ghana,I think you are the team to beat,frm Zambia
Congratulations to the Black Stars, they thoroughly deserved to win and go through. Not a brilliant display but overall, a solid performance. I particularly fancied Badu being used as a sweeper, a number 6 as is known in football terms. This man has a perfect understanding of the match and the posistioning on the pitch. And he is strong, despite his non commercial(not a tall figure) looks. I think, his partnership alongside Rabiu went well. It reminded me of their days, in the 2009 Black Satellites squad. Of course, they switched during the second half, which resulted to a rather perforate defnsive behavior, but this was due to the slackness that the score sprinkled over both teams. Obviously, the revelation was Atsu, who behaved as a central midfielder, while defending and as a winger on the attack. I think the coach trusts more KASA to provide the cover to his left back and i don’t blame him for that. Bottom line, is that Atsu kept his composure and delivered, even centered in the axis duties. I think that the youngster can deliver as a winger on both flanks, as well as number 10, the way Appiah conceives Ghana’a game strategy, as being a fast transition. I think the dilemma that is presented in fron of this team, has to do with whether the coach should go rather for a strong possession or conserve this system. I’d definetely opt for the latter but in any case, i’m not a coach. CIV are trying to produce something similar. They failed in the first match, cos they didn’t start Tiote and Kolo is in a dreadful form but got it all right in their clash against a good side that is Tunisia. Kolo out, Drogba out(whose performance against Togo was poor) and Tiote in. I was really impressed by their defensive mentality and behavior as a whole. Their midfield seemed like a piston, working in both directions and this man, Tiote, was the man who was pulling the strings. Ok, enough with the Elephants. I think that both these teams(Ghana and CIV) have a similar potential and a strong arsenal to back it up. What is a bit worrying, is that the BS haven’t quite reached this level of defensive performance yet. But, as the coach said, they have the margin to improve and level up and this is a comforting thought.