African Nations/ Ghana 0 Cameroon 1: Ghana's African Cup of Nations dream came to a desperately disappointing end at the semi-final stage last night as the hosts were beaten by a resilient, if unspectacular, Cameroon at the Ohene Djan stadium.
This was a tense, tactical affair, marred by too many misplaced passes, and Cameroon's clinically-taken goal on 71 minutes provided one of the few moments of true quality.
Just as Ghana had begun enjoying their most dominant spell they were caught on the counter-attack.
Joel Epalle headed a long ball down to Samuel Eto'o, whose through pass to Alain Nkong was perfectly timed, allowing the substitute to race clear and shoot calmly beyond Richard Kingson.
Ghana were stunned and never looked likely to recover, Junior Agogo spurning their best opportunity to equalise when he headed Sulley Muntari's enticing free-kick over the crossbar nine minutes from time.
The game ended in ugly scenes following the stoppage-time sending off of Cameroon defender Andre Bikey. The Reading player shoved to the ground one of the medical staff who were trying to lift an apparently injured Rigobert Song on to a stretcher. Bikey will now miss the final.
But his red card failed to dampen the spirits of a Cameroon side written off by many following the comprehensive 4-2 defeat by Egypt in their opening game.
That they have regrouped so impressively is thanks largely to their canny German coach, Otto Pfister. The 70-year-old trainer, who once enjoyed a six-year stint with Ghana, certainly backed up his pre-match boast that his tactics would "paralyse" the hosts.
Ghana missed the presence in midfield of Michael Essien, confined to central defence in the absence of Ghana's suspended captain John Mensah.
Geremi's thunderous free-kick that cannoned off the Ghana crossbar was the closest either side came during a tense opening half.
Cameroon's opponents in Sunday's final will be Egypt, who beat Cote d'Ivoir 4-1 in Kumasi last night.
Ahmed Fathi put Egypt ahead in the first half with a deflected effort and Amr Zaki headed in a second against the run of play.
A rocket from Abdelkader Keita moments later gave Cameroon hope but Zaki quickly netted again to seal Egypt's passage. Mohamed Aboutrika put the icing on the cake with a fourth in stoppage time.
GHANA: Kingson; Sarpei, Paintsil, Essien, Addo; Annan, Ayew (Barusso 87), Muntari, Owusu Abeyie (Gyan 62); Dramani, Agogo.
CAMEROON: Kameni; Geremi, Bikey, Rigobert Song, Atouba; Emana (Binya 77), Alex Song, Mbia; Desire Job (Nkong 63), Idrissou (Epalle 46), Eto'o
Referee: A El Arjoun(Morocco)
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