Cape Verde’s fairytale story was put to an end on Saturday by Ghana after
their substitute Mubarak Wakaso bagged a brace at the Nelson Mandela Bay
Stadium to book their spot into the semi-final with a 2-0 win.
Cape Verde’s debut experience had so far
been a fairytale, seeing them tops ahead of Morocco and Angola to reach
the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations.
However, their progression meant that
they were going to be thrown into the deep end when they had to take to
the field against tournament favourites Ghana.
Following cautious starts to their
matches in Group A, the Cape Verde side got the game underway with some
vigour, in the opening eight minutes, but the first half ended goalless.
However, a minute into the second half,
Coach Kwesi Appiah brought on Mubarak Wakaso in place of Alberto Adomah,
and the youngster changed the course of the match.
Captain Asamoah Gyan was brought down in
the Cape Verde box by Carlitos in the 53rd minute and Wakaso stood up to
take the spot-kick and he did with ease, blasting it down the middle of
the goal.
Ghana sealed the game in stoppage time
after all Cape Verde players, including keeper Vorzinha, surged forward
looking for a goal from a corner kick but the Ghanaians pounced on a
counter which saw Wakaso make a run upfield and slot the ball into an empty net.
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