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| Ghana claims third place |
2/9/2008 |
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Hosts Ghana staged a stirring second half revival to beat Ivory Coast 4-2 on Saturday to claim third place in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Sulley Muntari fired the Black Stars into the lead with a fierce 25-yard free-kick after Chelsea''s Salomon Kalou had spurned a good early chance for the Elephants.
But Boubacar Sanogo equalised for Ivory Coast with a powerful run and finish and then put the Elephants into the lead with a 32nd-minute tap-in after Didier Drogba''s effort was saved by goalkeeper Richard Kingson.
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie scored a sublime second for Ghana as he raced past three defenders before slotting home coolly from a tight angle in the 70th minute.
The Black Stars then completed a rousing comeback in front of a delighted home support in Kumasi when Nottingham Forest striker Junior Agogo beat the offside trap and fired into the bottom corner with 10 minutes left.
After a swarm of insects descended on the stadium - and Essien appeared to swallow one - Haminu Dramani scored a late fourth for Ghana with a long-range shot that bounced over the embarrassed Tiasse Kone in the Ivory Coast goal.
"We played a fantastic game," Ghana coach Claude Le Roy said
Cameroon meet Egypt in Sunday''s final in Accra, looking to avenge defeats in a crucial 2006 World Cup qualifier and in the opening group match of the current tournament.
"Every cycle must come to an end," Cameroon coach Otto Pfister said. "And so tomorrow we will break this cycle."
Cameroon will be looking to match Egypt''s total of five African titles when the teams meet at Ohene Djan stadium.
The 70-year-old Pfister has yet to win the African Cup after losing to Ivory Coast as coach of Ghana in 1992
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