AFCON: Cameroon beats Ghana 2-0 to reach final
Feb 02, 2017
Two goals by Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui and Christian Bassogog send The Indomitable Lions to the Nations Cup final at the expense of The Black Stars.
AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS: SEMI-FINAL II
- FULL-TIME: Cameroon 2-0 Ghana
- Ghana were playing sixth successive semi-final
- Cameroon to play Egypt in final
- Final to be played this Sunday. Third-place game on Saturday
Live reporting by Joseph Kizza (Twitter: @joekizza)
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12.05am: FINAL - Cameroon to face Egypt
FULL-TIME: Cameroon 2 Ghana 0
After 30 games played so far in this edition, the stage is now set. On Sunday, The Indomitable Lions will face off against The Pharaohs, who are seven-time Nations Cup champions.
The day before, on Saturday, Burkina Faso will play Ghana for the third place.
That said, have yourselves a good night/morning!
11.57pm: Same-old story
FULL-TIME: Cameroon 2 Ghana 0
It's been the same-old story for Ghana's coach Avram Grant. Last time, he guided his side to the final but came up short against Ivory Coast.
This time, he has failed to steer The Black Stars past the semi-final stage.
'What went wrong?' many back in Ghana will ask themselves.
11.53pm: BREAKING NEWS!
Cameroon 2 Ghana 0
GOAL! - Cameroon
90+3min: Cameroon 2 Ghana 0
And that ends this match as a contest! Christian Bassogog hits the final nail into the coffin.
Told you they weren't laying back . . .
Game over!
90 min: TIME RUNNING OUT . . .
Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
That was very poor by Mubarak Wakaso as the Ghana players push for an equalizer.
Four minutes of added time.
But the Indomitable Lions are not sitting back either . . .
85 min: GHANA HUFFING AND PUFFING
Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
The Ghanaians are charging hard and fast towards the Cameroon goal.
The Black Stars bench is on its feet as the clock ticks away.
YELLOW-CARD
81min: Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
The culprit this time is Cameroon's Benjamin Moukandjo for a reckless push on Jordan Ayew. It's been a tight physical encounter, this one.
80 min: TEN MINUTES TO GO . . .
Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
Can Asamoah Gyan inspire The Black Stars back into this game? He has no more than 10 minutes to do so.
Avram Grant is now on his feet.
76 min: SWIFT CHANGES
Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
Well, well, well. See what that goal has done. Both sides have made substitutions after that opening goal by Cameroon.
First, Vincent Aboubakar is introduced in place of Ndip Tambe for the Indomitable Lions. Then, Asamoah Gyan comes on for Afriyie Acquah for the trailing side.
A minute later Georges Mandjeck is brought on in place of Arnaud Sutchuin Djoum for Cameroon.
That was quick!
GOAL! - Cameroon
72min: Cameroon 1 Ghana 0
Cameroon are in the lead, thanks to Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui's strike from a free-kick.
The ball is dropped into the area, eluding a Ghanaian defender and keeper Razak. It falls invitingly to Ngadeu-Ngadjui who lashes home from a delicately acute angle to spark scenes from the Cameroon fans.
Can Avram Grant's men respond? They have 18 minutes to do so.
YELLOW-CARD
Wakaso Mubarak is the first player in this game to get booked.
Cameroon get a free-kick in a very good position.
68 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
How did that not go in?
That's the question Avram Grant and his technical bench will be asking themselves after Daniel Amartey is wasteful in the face of an open goal following a scramble in the Cameroon box.
65 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Cameroon unleash a blistering counter-attack after enduring some Ghanaian pressure in this half.
A cross is whipped in from the far left corner into the box. Benjamin Moukandjo is poaching in the area and does connect with his arm before clashing awkwardly with Ghana keeper Brimah Razak.
The Cameroonian attacker writhes in pain and will need medical attention off the pitch before hopping back on.
Intense!
60 min: GREAT SAVE!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Now that's brilliant goalkeeping stuff from Cameroon goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa!
After dangerman Christian Atsu is brought down towards the edge of the area, a free-kick is awarded. Wakaso Mubarak is the man to take it.
The Ghanaian man curls in brilliantly to draw Ondoa into a fine save. That was going in. And that would have been a brilliant goal!
52 min: OUCH!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Ghana's captain of the day Andre Ayew is down. He has clashed heavily with the Cameroon goal keeper as The Black Stars unleashed another attack.
Blood is gushing from the corner of Ayew's eye as the downed player is mobbed by curious players. Is he OK? Yes. Not long after, he gets back onto his feet.
52 min: CLOSE!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Ghana have started this half in full gear. Frank Acheampong is quick down on the left, bulldozes his way into the area and lashes a cross in that keeper Fabrice Ondoa can't get his hand to. But neither does a Ghana player, allowing the ball to fly agonisingly past goal-mouth.
49 min: PENALTY APPEAL!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Was that a handball? Ghana's Thomas Partey screams to make a case for it.
Christian Atsu makes a good sprint on the right, peeling away from his marker and cuts in. His pass is blocked and a header brings it back into the path of Partey who half-volleys it. In its flight, the ball hits the hand of a Cameroon player before floating wide.
Partey is all up in arms but the referee will not hear any of his penalty appeals.
A corner is given, which bears no fruit.
45 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
It's back to matters on the pitch as second half gets under way. Gambian referee Bakary Gassama is the man in charge of this game.
HALF-TIME!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
And the half-time whistle goes. Nil-nil is the scoreline after an absorbing opening half of end-to-end action.
44 min: OUCH!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Play is briefly brought to a stop as Benjamin Moukandjo is attended to by medical staff after he was thrown off his feet by a fierce tackle by Ghana's Wakaso Mubarak.
He will require some of that 'magic spray' before he can trot back onto the pitch.
39 min: CLOSE!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
How close that was!
Jordan Ayew is picked out by Harrison Afful with a perfectly measured pass. Ayew beats Adolphe Teikeu for pace and tries to swerve in from an acute angle.
Keeper Fabrice Ondoa is drawn to close the gap. He can't get the ball but he is lucky the ball wheels just past the far-end post.
Warning call from the Black Stars!
35 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Christian Atsu goes for the counter-attack. He has the pace and skill but what he doesn't have right now is the solution to a host of defenders blocking out his way. He tries to dribble past one as a teammate dashes across for support but NO WAY THROUGH.
It's two-way traffic now. Ping-pong stuff.
30 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Ndip Tambe makes a spirited dash after Ghana had started to pick themselves up from the sustained pressure they've had to endure. Just when Tambe lets rip, Ghana defender John Boye slides in to block the ball which spins out for a corner.
The resulting corner comes to nothing as The Black Stars players all fall back to defend.
Half an hour gone but no effect on the scoreline.
23 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Now that was much better from Ghana.
Thomas Partey shows great strength to climb back onto his feet in the face of intense opposition pressure inside the box, and plays in Jordan Ayew who blasts over the bar.
That's nearly as good as the best we have seen Grant's men come close to scoring as they have had to defend in numbers for most of the opening 20 minutes.
21 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Robert Ndip Tambe goes for a low header after brilliant buildup work by Cameroon but the referee's whistle goes even though his effort is out. He is guilty of a foul.
As it stands, The Indomitable Lions have had six shots goalwards compared to Ghana's zero.
15 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
The tables appear to have turned so swiftly here. The Cameroonians have climbed up to the table of dominance as they launch a series of attacks towards the Ghanaian goal.
Broos' men get their second corner of the night and Benjamin Moukandjo's take is cleared by Jordan Ayew.
The Black Stars, playing without their injured talismanic captain Asamoah Gyan, have been pegged back by their opponents.
11 min: CLOSE!
Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Suddenly, the Cameroonians shake off any lingering early nerves and open up. They make a break for it in a rare attack.
A cross from the right flank meets Adolphe Teikeu whose powerful header is cleared off the line by Harrison Afful.
Later on, Ghana keeper Brimah Razak is drawn into another save as The Indomitable Lions present yet another dangerous attack.
05 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
Ghana get the first corner of the game. Wakaso Mubarak whips it in but the cross whistles across the goal mouth to find no player to meet it.
Bright start for Avram Grant's men.
03 min: Cameroon 0 Ghana 0
On paper, Ghana are considered the favorites in this tie. They have won four of seven previous meetings between these two sides while The Indomitable Lions have won one game.
The Black Stars have started on the front foot in this opening half and Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo has already had a glimpse of what a busy night he will have, having to mind Christian Atsu.
The Ghanaian winger tries to dribble past him put Oyongo sticks out his hand into his face, effectively managing to stop the Black Stars attacker in his tracks.
KICK-OFF!
Cameroon 0-0 Ghana
And we are under way here as Cameroon set the ball on the move. Game on!
Nearly there
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
The players exchange handshakes a minute or so before kickoff. The stadium is alive.
9.55pm: Anthems under way
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
After the two sides walk out on to the Stade de Franceville turf, they line up for the national anthems.
First, the anthem of Cameroon followed by Ghana's.
Cameroon make one change
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
The Indomitable Lions have made only one change tonight while The Black Stars make no change to their starting XI. Here are the respective starting line-ups . . .
CAMEROON: Fabrice Ondoa, Adolphe Teikeu, Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Ambroise Oyongo Bitolo, Benjamin Moukandjo, Jacques Zoua Daogari, Christian Bassogog, Sebastien Siani, Arnaud Sutchuin Djoum, Ndip Tambe, Collins Fai
GHANA: Brimah Razak, Thomas, Afriyie Acquah, Christian Atsu, Jordan Ayew, Andre Ayew, Wakaso Mubarak, Daniel Amartey, John Boye, Frank Acheampong, Harrison Afful
9.20pm: Gyan on the bench
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
The Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan will start on the bench tonight after failing to sufficiently recover from injury, according to the AFP.
Gyan, 31, suffered a groin injury in Ghana's final group game, a 1-0 defeat to Egypt, and played no part in last Sunday's 2-1 quarter-final win over DR Congo.
9.10pm: Cameroon to win . . . she says so
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
Hands up anyone who believes in the power of prediction.
We've seen an octopus predict correctly outcomes of games at recent World Cup editions. This time though, an 85-year-old South African woman is saying Cameroon will beat Ghana.
Nozo Zintoyinto has reportedly been on form in this tournament despite her reportedly saying she doesn't know much about football. She foresaw Egypt going through at the expense of Burkina Faso, for instance.
Check out more HERE.
9.00pm: The Pharaohs await . . .
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
After securing a place in the final by beating Burkina Faso in the first semi-final on Wednesday, seven-time champions Egypt are sitting neat and pretty.
They await the side they will face off against on Sunday.
Did you watch that first semi-final. If you missed out, you can quickly relive how it unfolded HERE.
8.53pm: Broos takes on Grant
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
Tonight, it will be an African affair between two west African giants. But the sub-plot will be the battle between foreign coaches: Belgian Hugo Broos v Polish-Israeli Avram Grant.
8.45pm: So close but so far
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
The Black Stars, as the Ghanaian team prefer to call themselves, are looking to arrest a reputation that has been a part of their recent participation in the Nations Cup. For the last decade, they have come up just short all too often.
Images of an inconsolable Andre Ayew in tears are still emblazoned vividly in our minds after Ghana were beaten 9-8 on penalties by Ivory Coast in the last edition.
The Ghanaians will have been glad that the defending champions are already out of this tournament . . .
8.38pm: Four titles apiece
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
These two African footballing giants playing tonight have won the tournament four times each, second-best to only 2017 finalists Egypt whose seven-title record remains unrivalled.
I could say this title match-up is like old v new. Here's how:
Ghana won the cup in 1963, 1965, 1978, 1982 while Cameroon's victories came after, in: 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002.
8.35pm: Once a upon a time . . .
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
Fifteen years is a long time. But 35 years is even longer. The last time Cameroon had a taste of Nations Cup glory was in 2002 while Ghana have not lifted the title since 1982.
A lot has happened since The Black Stars last won the Nations Cup. For instance, I was born some years down the road, I started and finished school, I got a job and here I still am (you can come up with your own developments in that period of time).
It's a glory-thirsty nation now, Ghana. And having come so close to taking it in 2015 - losing out on penalties at the hands of Ivory Coast - Avram Grant's men are a wounded animal, ready to attack.
But it shouldn't be easy against a side that have fresher memories of what it feels like being Africa's best of the best.
8.30pm: Welcome again
Cameroon v Ghana (kickoff at 10pm)
Hello and good evening. Welcome to yet another live text commentary of tonight's second semi-final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.
A lot is at stake here. A place in the final is up for grabs. Two teams whose footballing prowess on the continent is well documented will take on each other to take up that remaining spot.
BIG question is: Who will it be?
