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Sorry - this page has been removed. Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan strikes late to give his side victory over Algeria
(4 months later)
This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Ghana, quadruple Africa Cup of Nations winners, are back in contention for a place in the quarter-finals after their captain, Asamoah Gyan struck deep into stoppage time to earn his side a 1-0 victory over Algeria on Friday.
The striker, who missed the opening 2-1 defeat by Senegal due to a mild bout of malaria, drilled home an upfield punt just as a tepid clash between the continent’s two heavyweights seemed to be heading for a stalemate.
For further information, please contact: The result left Ghana, Algeria and Senegal on three points in Group C with the latter playing South Africa, who are yet to earn a point in this year’s tournament, in the Friday evening kick-off.
Littered with errors and fouls in the first half, the game came to life after the break but produced no clear-cut chances until the talismanic Gyan struck to ease the pressure on his manager, Avram Grant.
Gyan showed his class when he took the ball from Wakasu Mubarak in his stride and, with the Algeria defender Carl Medjani closing him down, produced a bobbling shot that beat the goalkeeper, Rais Mbolhi, from a tight angle.
Algeria, the top-ranked team in Africa, dominated the opening 30 minutes but Madjid Bougherra had to glance away a teasing cross from the right to deny Gyan a clear header at goal. Gyan then twice misfired woefully wide from good positions, either side of a flicked effort by Jordan Ayew which fizzed just over the bar.
With time running out and Grant frantically yelling instructions from the touchline, Gyan produced a moment of magic to delight his team-mates. “This is a game with a lot of emotion,” Grant said. “I didn’t like it when we conceded a goal in the last minute [against Senegal] but this time we scored in the last minute.
“We deserved it. We were the better team. Asamoah has a fantastic attitude and he proved his ability in an important game but I have to praise the whole team because they worked very well as a unit in both good and bad moments.”
Algeria’s French manager, Christian Gourcuff, who took charge despite the death of his mother on Thursday, rued his team’s costly lapse in concentration. “It’s cruel to lose a game in the last minute and it fundamentally changes the group,” he said.
“A draw would have put us closer to the next round and we deserved that. The pitch and the weather were also a factor. We now have to go all out in the next game against Senegal.”