Ghana disappointed at semi-final loss in African Cup soccer

Irish Sun (IANS) Thursday 9th February, 2012

Ghanaian football fans have expressed disappointment at the national team's failure to qualify for the final of the African Nations Cup tournament co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Substitute Emmanuel Mayuka scored the only goal in the 78th minute in the cagey semi-final Wednesday to push Zambia to the final of the three-week competition.

The fans singled out Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan, who missed a penalty in the 10th minute of the first segment of the game for the loss against a much-determined Zambian side.

Others called for the resignation or dismissal of coach Goran Stevanovic for failing to select and assemble the cream of talented Ghanaian footballers for the tournament.

"The coach said himself that if we failed to win, he would resign so I don't expect him to return to Ghana. If the coach is not sacked, he will collapse the Black Stars," said Kwame Kodua, a staunch follower of the team.

Ghana's first attempt at goal came through a penalty in the eighth minute after Kwadwo Asamoah was brought down in the box, Xinhua reports.

Asamoah Gyan stepped up to take the kick but Chipolopolo goalkeeper, Kennedy Mweene palmed it away for a corner.

Derek Boateng was booked in the 70th minute after an aerial challenge on Zambian skipper Christopher Katongo, becoming Ghana's second player to be booked in the tournament.

Most soccer pundits had cited Ghana as co-favourites alongside Cote d'Ivoire to come first at Nations Cup finals, most especially with the absence of African football power houses like Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa and Nigeria.

Ghana will play the winner of the Cote d'Ivoire-Mali game for the third place.