| Goals | Goals |
|---|---|
| 10. Gervinho (45’) |
Gervinho puts Ivory Coast into the final
A superb solo goal from Gervinho saw Cote d’Ivoire defeat Mali 1-0 in Libreville on Wednesday night to secure a place in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The Arsenal attacker, who had failed to produce his best form at the tournament, netted a magnificent goal just before half time to set up a final between the Elephants and surprise package Zambia, who beat Ghana by the same score line earlier in the evening.
Ivory Coast started the match like a house on fire and almost took the lead in just the sixth minute when Didier Drogba got a glancing header on a Siaka Tiene free kick, but the ball rebounded off the upright.
Ten minutes later Salomon Kalou played a pass inside from the right flank that handed Yaya Toure a sight of goal. The lanky midfielder got a fierce drive away but again the woodwork came to Mali’s rescue.
The Elephants had further chances through Kalou and Didier Drogba, but as the half wore on it was the Eagles of Mali who began to assert themselves in midfield and put some pressure on their opponent’s defence.
Yet Ivory Coast broke the deadlock just before half time through a brilliant individual goal from Gervinho. The Arsenal winger used his searing speed to race free down the left before cutting infield to provide a deft finish just inside the far post with his right foot.
The second half was a tense affair and the quality of football didn’t match up to the first 45 minutes, though both sides managed to create scoring opportunities.
In the end, the Eagles simply didn’t have enough in the tank to come from behind for a second successive game. Their efforts against Gabon in the quarterfinal on Sunday, where they took the game to extra time before winning the penalty shootout, had left them without the energy necessary to haul back the Elephants.
Mali will face Ghana in the third-place playoff on Saturday, while Ivory Coast will take on Zambia in the final on Sunday evening in Libreville.
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