Soccer

Ivory Coast find form to make quarter-finals

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS Ivory Coast 3 Ghana 1:  IVORY COAST became the first team to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals…

Sat Jan 16 2010 - 00:00

AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS Ivory Coast 3 Ghana 1: IVORY COAST became the first team to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals after beating Ghana with 10 men in Group B yesterday.

A Didier Drogba header in the last minute finished off the Black Stars after Gervinho put the Ivorians ahead in the first half and Siaka Tiene added another midway through the second.

The win put Ivory Coast, held 0-0 by Burkina Faso in their opening game, top of the group with four points from two matches. Burkina Faso are second with one point and Ghana, playing their first game in the three-team group, are third.

Ivory Coast defender Emmanuel Eboue was sent off in the 56th minute but Ghana failed to take advantage although they got a consolation goal with a stoppage-time penalty by substitute Asamoah Gyan.

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Ghana must now beat Burkina Faso on Tuesday to progress.

The group is a three-team affair after Togo withdrew from the competition following last week’s fatal gun attack on the bus taking their delegation to the northern enclave of Cabinda.

After throwing away a hat full of chances against Burkina Faso, Vahid Halilhodzic’s side proved far more efficient against Ghana at Cabinda’s Chiazi National Stadium.

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, who only joined the Ghana team on Wednesday after bad weather delayed his departure from London, was left on the bench as four members of last October’s under-20 World Cup-winning squad started the game.

Bakary Kone, who wasted several chances against Burkina Faso, was replaced on the right wing by Salomon Kalou in Ivory Coast’s starting line-up.

In a clash pitting two teams who have qualified for this year’s World Cup, the Elephants dominated from the early stages.

IVORY COAST: Boubacar Copa, Eboue, Toure, Bamba, Tiene, Tiote, Toure Yaya (Fae 71), Zokora, Gervinho (Demel 60), Drogba, Kalou (Keita 84). Subs not used: Angban, Angoua, Boka, Bakari Kone, Meite, Gosso, Dindane, Emmanuel Kone, Zogbo. Sent off: Eboue (55). Booked: Tiote, Zokora, Kalou, Boubacar Copa.

GHANA: Kingson, Inkoom, Addo, Vorsah, Andre Ayew (Gyan 46), Narry (Essien 46), Rahim Ayew, Asamoah, Agyemang-Badu, Amoah, Opoku (Afful 77). Subs not used: Adjei, Annan, Addy, Adiyah, Draman, Mensah, Osei, Sarpei, McCarthy. Booked: Opoku.

Referee: Jerome Damon(South Africa).