Analysis
Bronze is not what these two contenders from Group B – especially Ghana – aimed to play for. Before traveling to Nelspruit to play Burkina Faso at the Mbombela Stadium in the semis, the high-flying Black Stars had vowed not to return to Port Elizabeth where they were based for their first four matches.
The mission was to go from Port Elizabeth, to Nelspruit and then ultimately to Johannesburg for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final. The reality turned out differently to what the Ghanaian team and its millions of fans wished for. Despite falling on the favoured side of appalling officiating by Tunisia referee Slim Jedidi against Burkina Faso, the Black Stars lost 3-2 on penalties to the Stallions after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes.
The country’s football worshippers are in a disillusioned state as the current team no more has a chance to end their 31-year trophy drought. Kwesi Appiah’s job is to ignore the intense ‘sack calls’ of his critics and get his players ready to bounce back on Saturday.
Last year, the same thing happened when Ghana lost to Zambia in the semis and had to settle for Third-place final tickets against Mali. A distracted and depressed Black Stars side lacking desire saw the Eagles of Mali clinch bronze medals. As for the Ghanaians, they flew back home empty handed. The Kotoka Airport in Accra will be a sad place if this scenario repeats itself this time.
Meanwhile, Mali also wanted to go all the way to glory in South Africa but their dream brutally ended as Nigeria hit them 4-1 in the semis. However, their realistic expectations were never as big as the Black Stars who featured at the last two FIFA World Cups. The Eagles – ranked 25th in the world and just a place above Ghana – would certainly appreciate bronze medals as a reward for their efforts at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and as a call for peace back home.
Mali’s most recent match stats (4-1 loss against Nigeria)
Ball possession: 48 per cent; Corners: 7; Shots on target: 7; Shots wide: 8; Fouls: 15; Offsides: 3
Ghana’s most recent match stats (1-1; 3-2 on penalties loss against Burkina Faso)
Ball possession: 45 per cent; Corners: 7; Shots on target: 7; Shots wide: 9; Fouls: 10; Offsides: 2
Prediction
Ghana are a young team with more to learn and achieve during the next years. Psychologically, it may be very hard for the Black Stars to recover from their AFCON 2013 semi-final defeat to Burkina Faso. The possibility of winning bronze medals might not feed their hunger for the one and only trophy which will now be disputed between Burkina Faso and bitter West African rivals Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Mali will want to show that they have learned from the mistakes that saw them lose 1-0 to Ghana in the group stages. A player like Seydou Keita, for example, could be playing in his last Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The ageing star will be keen to seal an eventful career on a positive note. Leading the Eagles to a repeat of last year's Third-place final triumph would be a kind present to the people of Mali in this period of war.
Ghana 1-2 Mali
