Ghana, DR Congo qualify for semis

Ghana’s Black Stars displayed a spirited performance to beat the Leopards of DR Congo 3-0 in the ultimate Group B clash at the Stade de la Paix, Bouaké on Sunday.
The result also ensured the Ghanaians finished as group winners, and qualified alongside the Congolese despite their wide-margin loss.

The two teams’ ticket to the next stage was made possible after fellow contenders Libya and Zimbabwe played to a barren draw in the group’s other clash at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan.

The Libya-Zimbabwe stalemate ensured Ghana finished on five points, one adrift of DR Congo with Zimbabwe and Libya in that order on three and two points respectively.
For the Ghanaians, it was their best outing at the tournament and surprisingly it came at a time their coach Milovan Rajevac watched proceedings off the bench, due to suspension.
At Abidjan, the game started on a low tempo with both teams struggling to find their feet. The match, despite serving a decider for the determination of the group’s semi-finalists, was characterized by a handful of chances.

Libya’s Hmadi Osama 39th minute was the closest of the first half.
Both teams resumed strongly in the second half but failed to make any meaningful attempt, trying to keep the ball to in their half and wanting to catch the other on the counter.

However, Zimbabwe was gifted with two opportunities to break the deadlock in the latter stages of the game but it was captain Gilbert Banda’s that cost them most.
Banda, left unmarked in the Libyan defence failed to connect Karuru Ovidy’s cross with the yawning net at his mercy.

For the semi-final, Ghana will play Senegal in Bouaké while Zambia squares DR Congo in Abidjan on Wednesday.

Quotes
Sunday Marimo (Coach, Zimbabwe)
“It’s very painful to exit a competition without losing and we should have won this game.
We played very well in the first half, peaked in the second half but failed to convert our chances.
“We have learnt a from this tournament, and the experience is crucial for my players.”

Faouzi Benzarti (Coach, Libya)
“I am very disappointed we couldn’t win today. The experience is very good for my team and we hope to build on that for the future.”