Ivory Coast crowned AFCON champions
2015-02-09 00:00
Yaya Toure (Twitter)
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After the cup final ended goalless after 120 minutes of tense football, the penalty shootout went to sudden death and in the end the Ivorians won 9-8 with goalkeeper Copa Barry netting the decisive kick.
Ghana goalkeeper Razak Braimah was the man whose penalty was saved by Barry, who then got up and netted the very next kick to win the contest.
In the 11th minute Yaya Toure went down inside the danger area after a challenge, but while he was looking for a penalty the match official was having none of it as the game recorded some tough tackles in the early stages.
In the 16th minute Max Gradel missed the target after Ghana had made an error in defence to allow the midfielder to slip into space and fire a shot wide of goal.
The impressive Christian Atsu came very close to the opener in the 25th minute when he let rip with a left footed drive from outside the 18 area that cannoned off the upright.
Then in the 36th minute Andrew Ayew looked to cross from the left by-line, but the angle was too tight and his cross effort took a slight deflection and squeezed off the outside of the upright.
In the 53rd minute Atsu cut inside from the right wing and passed inside for Asamoah Gyan, but he shot high and wide from the 'D' outside the big box.
A minute later Ghana centre back John Boye made a vital challenge to win the ball ahead of Gervinho, who would have been in on goal otherwise.
In the 69th minute John Boye rose well and headed just wide of goal following a half chance for Ghana in the Ivorian penalty area.
Three minutes later and Atsu made an impact once more, this time he beat his man down the right of the box, but his pull-back fell behind Gyan, who could not get a clean shot on target.
In the final minute of regulation time Serge Aurier's low cross forced a save from Braimah and his defence cleared the loose ball as the Black Stars were close to allowing the Ivorians in to score.
No goals at full time and the game moved to the thirty minute extra time period.
Three minutes into the first half of extra time and Atsu came close when he controlled a long ball brilliantly on his chest before acrobatically volleying wide of the target.
Atsu was again at it in the second half of extra time when his left footed half volley zipped wide of goal in the 111th minute.
The extra time period still could not separate the two teams as neither side could score in 120 minutes of play.
The tie went to the dreaded penalty shootout and it was the Ivorians who came out winners 9-8 after sudden death spot kicks.
No score after extra time. Ivory Coast win 9-8 on penalties.
Penalty sequence: Wakaso scores, Bony misses; J Ayew scores, Tallo misses; Acquah saved, Aurier scores; Acheampong misses, Doumbia scores; A Ayew scores, Yaya Toure scores; Mensah scores, Kalou scores; Agyemang-Badu scores, Kolo Toure scores; Afful scores, Kanon scores; Rahman scores, Bailly scores; Boye scores, Serey Die scores; Braimah saved, Barry scores
Teams
Ivory Coast
Copa Barry, Kolo Toure, Siaka Tiene (Salomon Kalou 116’), Serge Wilfried Kanon, Eric Bailly, Serge Aurier, Yaya Toure, Geoffroy Serey Die, Max Gradel (Seydou Doumbia 67’), Gervinho (Tallo 120’), Wilfried Bony
Ghana
Razak Braimah, Harrison Afful, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Baba Rahman, Mubarak Wakaso, Afriyie Acquah, Christian Atsu (Frank Acheampong 117’), Andre Ayew, Asamoah Gyan (Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu 120’), Kwesi Appiah (Jordan Ayew 99’)