After their 1-1 draw in the group stage, Nigeria and Burkina Faso will be in Johannesburg to determine the winner of the 2013 African Cup of Nations. Nigeria will be the big favourites after thier demolition of Mali but Burkina have still only conceded just three goals in the whole tournament and will stake their claim after beating Ghana on penalties. This also sets up a rematch of last year's 3rd/4th place play-off between Ghana and Mali.
Nigeria have hit form at the best possible time and Mali were just no match for them. The game was over after the first half and way before Mali managed to get a consolation. For the first quarter of an hour, Mali were actually the more attacking side and Mohamed Sissoko did manage to skim the bar with a shot.
From there, Nigeria grew into the game and Mali struggled to get any meaningful possession. 25-minutes in and Nigeria took the lead when Elderson Echiejile of SC Braga headed home from a Victor Moses cross. Moses was constantly causing trouble for Mali and it would be 2-0 on the half hour mark; Brown Ideye scoring via a deflection.
The two quick goals sunk Mali but the worst was yet to come as Nigeria would go in at half-time 3-0 ahead. Sissoko conceded a free-kick on the edge of the box in the final minute of the half. The wall wasn't well manned and Emmanuel Emenike's free-kick took a massive deflection off of Sissoko to completely wrong foot the keeper and roll into the net.
Mali did try to attack more in the second half in search of a miracle comeback and this again bit them on the hour mark. A counter attack from Nigeria saw 20-year old Ahmed Musa put through on goal and the CSKA Moscow striker coolly finished underneath the keeper, sending the two times African Cup of Nations Champions through.
Credit did have to go to Mali though as they never stopped playing and were finally rewarded on 75-minutes. Cheick Diabate forced a way through before playing the ball to Cheick Diarra to tap home for their consolation goal.
Burkina Faso will record their best result in an African Cup of Nations tournament regardless of the result on Sunday. Their previous record was a fourth place in the 1998 tournament but they will be playing Nigeria without, arguably, their two best players. Alain Traore was already ruled out through injury, but now Jonathan Pitroipa will join him after getting sent off in extra time.
The problem between Ghana and Burkina Faso was not just the fact that they had to play on that beachy Nelspruit pitch, but the referee made and missed a few really bad calls. Burkina thought they should have had a penalty in the opening minutes but would then concede one on 13-minutes when Christian Atsu was adjudged to have been pulled in the box, contact was minimal and the decision looked harsh. Wakaso Mubarak stepped up and coolly converted into the bottom corner.
Any thoughts that this would give Ghana the impetus to run away with the game were wrong as Burkina looked to be the more attacking side but couldn't find an equaliser as the teams went in at half-time. Ghana perhaps should have doubled their lead in the early going of the second half as Atsu looked dangerous. Asamoah Gyan did hit the post as Burkina held on.
Burkina then caught Ghana on the counter attack on the hour mark and Florent Rouamba played the ball across for Aristide Bance to slot home in the virtually unguarded net. Again Burkina Faso were, perhaps surprisingly, the more attacking side in the remainder of the second half but they couldn't find a second despite being able to pick holes in the Ghanaian defence.
The game fell into extra time and again Burkina were the more offensive side, forcing saves from Abdul Dauda. Burkina did think that they had moved 2-1 ahead just before half-time when Prejuce Nakoluma put the ball into the net. But the goal was disallowed as the referee had deemed Nakoluma's boot to be too high after challenging Dauda.
Atsu was the most dangerous player in the second period of extra time but the only real piece of drama came three minutes from the end when Pitroipa was sent off. The Rennes player went down under a John Boye challenge. The referee brandished Pitroipa with his second yellow and Burkina would face the penalty shoot-out with ten men.
Ghana stepped up first in the shoot-out but Isaac Vorsah smashed his spot-kick disastrously wide. The next four penalties were flawless but Dauda would keep the score at 2-2 by saving Pan Pierre Coulibaly's penalty. Ghana's chance to go ahead saw Emmanuel Clottey step up but he also missed. Bance put Burkina 3-2 ahead and their victory was assured when Abdoulaye Soulama saved Emmanuel Agyemang Badu's effort.
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