The Black Satellites of Ghana were kicked out of the ongoing U20 AFCON after suffering a painful defeat on Saturday afternoon in the hands of an average Mali side.
The dispirited Satellites wobbled on the field chasing their own shadows while their Malian counterparts knocked the ball around until the breakthrough came in the second half.
Ghana have been bundled out of the competition and have also failed to qualify for the World Cup following the results and are on their way to Ghana.
But how was the performance of the players in relation to the game and how influential was each on the day.
FootballMadeInGhana.com rated the performance of the players out of ten (10).
Mali
Youssouf Koita(GK) – 5
Koita was not overly troubled by the Ghanaian attack but stepped up his game anytime he was called to duty. His defensive organization was good.
Fode Konate – 4
Not a very exceptional performance but not a pushover for Atta Agyei. The Ghanaian hardly weaved a single cross from the right side of the Mali defence.
Amadou Dante – 5
He was aggressive and strong. He was hard with his tackles, closed down Kumah and forced him out of the game.
Clement Kanoute – 6
Kept an eagle eye on Lomotey, scared Kudus with hard tackles and his aerial ability was good. He fought like a wounded soldier.
Mamadou Samake – 5
Very technical and kept a close eye on Kudus. He policed the Ghana playmaker to reduce his threats.
Mamadou Traore – 5
A fighter in midfield and a ball winner. He destabilized the Ghana midfield and always unsettled them. Was aggressive too.
Bourbacar Traore – 5
He was very combative in midfield and tailored passes together well.
Hadji Drame – 7
Scored the only goal of the game and was given a free role to play. His crosses were good and he was swift with the ball too. Created a lot of troubles for the Ghanaian defenders.
El Bilal Toure – 4
Was not involved in most action of the game. He managed a few shots for Mali especially in the first half.
Sekou Koita – 4
Couldn’t break through the Ghana defenders but managed to trouble them with his physique and pace.
Substitutes
Lassana N’Diaye – 2
Came on for Sekou Koita but had little impact on the game.
Oumane Diakite – 2
Boubacar Traore made way for Diakite in a like for like change and he strengthened the Mali midfield with is energy.
Sambou Sissoko – 3
Was very combative when he came on from the bench and showed a lot of energy.
Ghana
Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (GK) – 4
His outings were as questionable as always but he made some brilliant saves. He failed to initiate any dangerous attacks as he did in the game against Burkina Faso.
Michael Baidoo – 4
Played his first game of the tournament and was not overly impressive. He was too defensive and only supported attack on a few occasions.
Montari Kamaheni – 5
The skillful left back was handed a more defensive role by Jimmy Corblah and he was great. He tailored some few crosses together.
Nathaniel Adjei – 5
As a member of the U17 side that failed in Niger last year, Nat was composed as he organized the defence well. His height was an advantage as he won most of the aerial tussles.
Ishaku Konda – 5
The Ghana skipper had a better day compared to his output in the Senegal game. He was aggressive but made some mistakes which could have seen Ghana punished but for a sharp-less attack from Mali.
Prosper Ahiabu – 5
Was combative in the game and provided a good shield for the Ghana defenders but failed to string passes together.
Sabit Abdulai – 5
Busy as usual but did not make a huge impact. He was, however, able to form a strong barrier with Ahiabu to stop the Malians. He surged forward occasionally but failed to get the results.
Emmanuel Kumah – 4
Failed to live up to the task. Couldn’t string passes together and failed to also hold on to the ball.
Kudus Mohammed – 6
Played well but was always overcrowded. He loved to move with the balls but the Malians knew how to deal with him. He was stopped from using his most dangerous weapon – long drives.
Atta Agyei – 3
Was poor on the day and made no impact. He failed to rain in crosses and also failed in being combative from the left side of midfield.
Daniel Lomotey – 4
Tried as he could, Lomotey was shut by the Malians. They outnumbered him and he couldn’t make his way out. He failed to even register one shot on target.
Substitutes
Ibrahim Sadiq – 4
Came on with a lot of energy, took the Malians on severally but failed with his final deliveries.
Saliw Babawo – 4
Got one shot for Ghana after coming on for Atta Agyei. He was swift with his attacks and was dangerous on the break.
Sulley Mohammed – 4
His introduction cemented Ghana’s dominance but the Malians were resolute at the back. He was able to keep possession and took on the Malians on many occasions.
