The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has entered its very last stage. Ghana and Mali will fight for bronze on Saturday before Cote d’Ivoire and Zambia will vie for the golden trophy on Sunday.
The road to reach the Last 4 for the teams involved has been long. Mali will be content with a third-place finish considering the caliber of their opponents in each knock-out fixture.
Ousting Aubameyang’s Gabon on penalties against the odds was a remarkable achievement to do in the quarter-finals. Falling to Cote d’Ivoire on a 1-0 score line in the semi-finals was heartbreaking but not humiliating. The Elephants are arguably Africa’s team to beat currently so it would have required fire from heaven to destroy them and put Mali into the final.
In a rematch of Group D’s Ghana vs Mali encounter, the Eagles will strive for revenge. They have a genuine chance of punishing the Black Stars. Confusion and pressure has put pre-tournament favorites Ghana in an awkward position ahead of Saturday’s third-place final battle.
The failure to beat Zambia in the semis might haunt many, if not the totality, of the Black Stars’ players throughout the rest of their international career. Where can Ghana find strength to bounce back after the semi-final fiasco?
A multitude of Ghana’s fans back home have vowed to boycott the Mali game since bronze can literally not replace gold. Disbelief and anger over Asamoah Gyan’s missed penalty, Mayuka’s 78th minute winner, and Goran Stevanovic's decisions among many other things, is disturbing Ghana’s most avid football supporters. How could the national team, with a 30-year title drought on their back, not book a date with the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire at the 2012 AFCON?
The Black Stars know that finishing fourth would damage the relationship with their fans even more. Meanwhile, grabbing bronze won’t cool down all the boiling matters.
Two players, above the rest, who should view the Ghana vs Mali match with much importance is Dede Ayew and his brother Jordan Ayew. The pair’s contribution in the team at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations cannot be disputed. Some are even calling for Dede to become the senior national team’s new captain in the near future.
In fact, this issue of captaincy alone has caused lack of unity within the Black Stars squad as coach Goran Stevanovic and striker Asamoah Gyan have transformed into the public’s enemies.
Saturday’s loser’s final will help determine if things are indeed going from bad to worse for the Ghanaians who will be without the suspended John Boye while the availability of the injured John Mensah and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu remains in doubt.
What print will the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations' third-place final leave on both Mali and Ghana?
Ousting Aubameyang’s Gabon on penalties against the odds was a remarkable achievement to do in the quarter-finals. Falling to Cote d’Ivoire on a 1-0 score line in the semi-finals was heartbreaking but not humiliating. The Elephants are arguably Africa’s team to beat currently so it would have required fire from heaven to destroy them and put Mali into the final.
In a rematch of Group D’s Ghana vs Mali encounter, the Eagles will strive for revenge. They have a genuine chance of punishing the Black Stars. Confusion and pressure has put pre-tournament favorites Ghana in an awkward position ahead of Saturday’s third-place final battle.
The failure to beat Zambia in the semis might haunt many, if not the totality, of the Black Stars’ players throughout the rest of their international career. Where can Ghana find strength to bounce back after the semi-final fiasco?
A multitude of Ghana’s fans back home have vowed to boycott the Mali game since bronze can literally not replace gold. Disbelief and anger over Asamoah Gyan’s missed penalty, Mayuka’s 78th minute winner, and Goran Stevanovic's decisions among many other things, is disturbing Ghana’s most avid football supporters. How could the national team, with a 30-year title drought on their back, not book a date with the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire at the 2012 AFCON?
The Black Stars know that finishing fourth would damage the relationship with their fans even more. Meanwhile, grabbing bronze won’t cool down all the boiling matters.
Two players, above the rest, who should view the Ghana vs Mali match with much importance is Dede Ayew and his brother Jordan Ayew. The pair’s contribution in the team at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations cannot be disputed. Some are even calling for Dede to become the senior national team’s new captain in the near future.
In fact, this issue of captaincy alone has caused lack of unity within the Black Stars squad as coach Goran Stevanovic and striker Asamoah Gyan have transformed into the public’s enemies.
Saturday’s loser’s final will help determine if things are indeed going from bad to worse for the Ghanaians who will be without the suspended John Boye while the availability of the injured John Mensah and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu remains in doubt.
What print will the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations' third-place final leave on both Mali and Ghana?
