Black Stars of Ghana became the fourth team to quality for the 2013 African Cup of Nations to be held in South Africa in 2013. Ghana beat Malawi by 1-0 at Civo Stadium and secured 3-0 aggregate score to rank itself in the top four qualified teams. Other qualified teams till date are: Nigeria, defending champion Zambia, and Ivory Coast. Among them, Ivory Coast qualified despite their abandoned match against Senegal due to crowd trouble on the ground. Basically, the match between visitors Coast Ivory and hosts Senegal was decided on benefit of doubt given in favor of Coast Ivory after crowd disturbance. Actually, Coast Ivory was leading the game with 2-0 score when Senegalese reportedly start attacking visitor fans along with lightening fire in Leopold Sedar Senghor Stadium. Police was then called by the ground authority, perhaps police had to use tear gas to control the wild Senegalese. When it became impossible to continue the match, it had been abandoned and Ivory Coast was rewarded the match.
Ghana, who had a carried advantage of 2-0 from first leg held in September, proven its reign among all African soccer nations again. Right from the sixth minute of the game, Ghana striker Afriyie Acquah made it sure that Black Stars will be the part of next year’s African Cup of Nations in South Africa. Ghana has already won this title four times in the past. Even though, Malawi conceived their only goal right in the beginning, but they used their each and every strength to equalize the score. Perhaps, it is not wrong to say that they controlled the match but unsuccessful to equalize Acquah’s brilliant effort and lost the match. The stadium was full packed by the fans including Malawi’s first citizen Retired Chief Justice Richard Banda. Notably, Banda was the part of Malawi team in 1962 when they were busted by Ghana by 12-0.
Anyways, this time too, Ghana made them look tiny in front of them. After the match, whole Ghana team sang and dance on the pitch led by captain Asamoah Gyan and their coach: Kwesi Appiah told later, “It was tough but we came very prepared. Malawi gave us a good game but our experience proved the difference.” So, despite Flames ruled both halves, they could not convert their control into the scores hence lost the game. This win has lots of means for both: captain Gyan along with contracted local coach Akwasi Appiah.