Meridian Cup: Portugal and Ghana go half and half

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A fascinating match produced a 1-1 draw which does justice to the efforts of both teams. Portugal had the edge during the first half but the dismissal of Nuno Batista after only half an hour left them struggling for survival. Potent Paiva

During the opening five minutes Ghana forced two corners. Yet the Portuguese made a forceful response. After barely 10 minutes a poor clearance by the Ghanaian defence allowed Jo?o Paiva to score his third goal of the tournament with a lob which went into the net past the goalkeeper’s left hand. The Portuguese looked comfortable until Nuno Batista was shown a direct red card for a late, high tackle and subsequently maintained their superiority for the remainder of the first half.
Third time lucky
However, the Black Star started to shine after the interval and their drive towards the Portuguese goal was rewarded in the 66th minute when Lawrence Quaye hit the bar and Sulley Muntari latched on to the rebound, only to strike the bar again. However it was third time lucky for striker Michael Ocansey who turned the second rebound into the net. The Portuguese once again demonstrated their exceptional technical and tactical qualities, with skipper Hugo Viana again outstanding and reminding many of the spectators of the young Rui Costa. The Ghanaian team placed more reliance on strength and speed, producing a fascinating clash between footballing cultures.

'Disappointed' - Dinis
The Portuguese coach Carlos Dinis, commented afterwards "it’s not a satisfying result because we should have secured a victory. I am disappointed that we didn’t play better in the second half, though we have to take into account the fact that we were down to ten and that Hugo Viana was struggling a bit with his fitness."
"I’m very happy about the result and with the way we played," said Francis Oti Akenteng. "The standard in this tournament is very high in terms of technique and in terms of the physical preparation of all the teams. My team obviously does not have international experience and we are here to learn. We have certainly learned a lot from the two matches we have played so far."