Ghana’s qualification hopes to the 2009 World Youth Championship received a further shot today after the Black Satellites beat Mali 2-0 at the African Youth Championship.
The defeat thus brings to an end Mali’s qualification chances having lost two games so far as the Black Satellites now pick up four points.
Two headed goals in each half from Gladson Awako and Ransford Osei handed Ghana the deserved win as the Black Satellites move to four points ahead of the final group A game against hosts, Rwanda on Saturday.
Ghana were up for the tense fixture as Mali had the first threatened first in the 7th minute when Mariko Malamine had a shot at goal from close range blocked by goalkeeper Daniel Adjei before Samuel Inkoom scooped the ball away.
But it was Ghana who drew first blood as the Black Satellites started to exert their control over the game.
Gladson Awako connected with the head from a cross down the right side of attack by Abeiku Quansah in the 14th minute to beat Malian goalkeeper, Keita Adama.
Ghana held onto the solitary lead but before the half ended, Mali again went close to finding target after Inkoom conceded possession in midfield allowing the Young Eagles to surge forward but Diarra Yacouba had too much touch of the ball allowing Daniel Adjei to rush out of goal to make a save.
The Black Satellites went into the break 1-0 up with Philip Boampong picking the yellow card.
And the remaining 45 minutes was to decide if Ghana were going to stay in contention or Mali end any hopes of progressing. But it was the Black Satellites who started brightly.
However, Mali forced Ghana to concede possession as the Young Eagles started stringing their passes together.
The game was occasioned by stoppages as Libyan referee Ragab Omar remained firm in the physical encounter.
Mali however failed to take their chances allowing the Ghanaians threaten their goal when they went on the counter.
Goalkeeper Keita Adama denied Andre Ayew on two occasions. Keita, first punched to touch a freekick by the Ghana captain before blocking a shot with his legs to deny the Ghanaian his second goal at the tournament.
Dominic Adiyah also came close to scoring but saw his feeble shot at goal miss target narrowly.
Then out of nothing, Ghana scored the second goal.
David Addy swung a cross teasingly across the face of goal, Keita Adama followed the ball but failed to make a touch and Ransford Osei was at the far post to nod home the second for Ghana.
Ghana coach, Sellas Tetteh, who named an unchanged starting side that drew with Cameroon in the opening game at the African Youth Championship made two changes as the game proceeded.
Abeiku Quansah and Dominic Adiyah gave way to Isaac Donkor and Latif Salifu.
The win for Ghana takes the Black Satellites to four points and puts the team in a good position to qualify from the group and move them closer to picking one of the four tickets to the World Youth Championship later in the year to be hosted by Egypt as the AYC by extension serves as a qualifier to the World tournament.
Ghana line up:
Daniel Adjei, Samuel Inkoom, David Addy, Philip Boampong, Daniel Addo, Gladson Awako, Abeiku Quansah/ Isaac Donkor, Emmanuel Agyeman Badu, Dominic Adiyah/ Latif Salifu, Ransford Osei and Andre Ayew.
Subs: Joseph Addo, Kassenu Ghandi, Godfred Rockson, Enoch Adu-Kofi.