Ghana oust Angola

Asamoah Gyan gave the youthful Black Stars a half-time lead with a fine finish and his side hung on in a match Angola dominated, with striker Manucho missing a hat-trick of great chances as they failed to convert possession into goals.

After early deliveries from Manucho and Mabina almost drew a brace of own goals from Lee Addy - which Richard Kingson saved on both occasions - Ghana, packed with players from their victorious U20 World Cup campaign last year, went ahead against the run of play.

On 16 minutes two players who just missed each other at Udinese combined in the best move of the first half: midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah, who joined the Italian club last season, clipped a glorious diagonal ball from halfway that released Rennes’ former Udinese striker Gyan, who held off defender Kali and drilled the ball past Carlos into the bottom left.

Angola continued to dominate possession but Ghana seemed to have overcome earlier defensive hesitancy and the Black Antelopes struggled to create clear-cut chances until later in the half, when Manucho was handed two gilt-edged opportunities by Flavio.

First he headed Flavio’s cross straight at Kingson. The Wigan reserve keeper went the wrong way but was able to keep out an effort that would have gone in had Manchester United flop Manucho put the ball either side of him.

Then, in the final minute of the half, Manucho blasted over after excellent work from Flavio to hold off two defenders and goalkeeper in laying the ball off for his strike-partner.

The second half was a lacklustre affair. Angola continued to dominate possession but failed to find a cutting edge, while Ghana were happy to sit deep and look for the counter.

Angola’s build-up play was fine, but the final ball was lacking and Ghana could have gone two up when a quick break saw Haminu Dramani, free on the right, chest the ball down and volley straight at Carlos.

Later in the match, though, the Black Stars seemed to tire and Angola came closer to levelling.

Manucho again missed a sitter when he headed over after an excellent cross by Mabina, which followed a quickly-taken corner as the hosts kept the ball but were faced with a wall of white shirts.

Agyeman Opoku forced a smart stop from Carlos in the Angola goal, but in injury-time the hosts twice went close through defender Kali.

The skipper first missed a superb cross from substitute Ze Kalanga, and then saw his shot cleared off the line by Isaac Vorsah sliding in following another missed clearance from Addy.

But Ghana, who had earlier lost star striker Gyan to injury, held firm to seal their passage into the semi-finals.