Full Time: Ghana 1 - 0 Algeria

90 + 4 mins There's no time for Algeria to get back into this, as the referee brings the game to a close!

90 + 2 mins Goal  Asamoah Gyan GOOOOOOOOAAAAL!! GYAN NETS THE WINNER! The striker latches onto a long ball, using his pace and strength to get the better of Medjani. From the right side of the box he fires an effort across goal which nestles inside the far corner!

90 + 1 mins We are into the first of three additional minutes.

89 mins Mahrez comes wide to the right and spots Feghouli in space inside the box. The Valencia man takes a touch and then digs out a cross which he stands up on the far side of the area. There is no green shirt to supply a finish, though!

87 mins Substitution        Yacine Brahimi (OUT)  Foued Kadir (IN)

87 mins That will be Brahimi's final contribution as he comes off for Kadir.

86 mins Amartey strides up from the back and draws a foul from Brahimi around 25 yards out from goal. This is another great opportunity for the Black Stars.

85 mins cross from the left bounces through for Asante to get his first touch on the right-hand side of the box. It's a poor one, though, as he simply knocks the ball out of play for a goal kick.

84 mins Substitution        André Ayew (OUT)  S. Asante (IN)


84 mins third, and final, substitution for Ghana, with Andre Ayew being replaced by Asante.


83 mins That's poor from Wakaso! He's really struggled to adapt to the game since his introduction and he needlessly cedes possession with a sloppy pass in midfield that goes out for a throw in.

81 mins It's over the top! Gyan attempts to bend the ball over the wall and into the top-right corner, but instead blazes his effort miles above the crossbar.

80 mins Ghana are awarded a free kick in a central position, 25 yards out from goal, and Gyan and Badu stand over it...

78 mins Substitution        Jordan Ayew (OUT)  Mahatma Osumanu Otoo (IN)
76 mins Mahrez picks up the ball on the left and is sent down towards the byline by Amartey. He has options in the middle but decides to go for goal, and his powerful strike flies well wide of the near post.

75 mins Both sides are beginning to search for a winning goal, and it is leading to greater spaces opening up on the pitch. There haven't been many chances so far tonight, but there could certainly be a late strike if it continues in this manner.


73 mins Yellow Card ---- Nabil Bentaleb

72 mins Andre Ayew isn't happy with missing that! He finds space between the defenders to get his head on Atsu's cross, but it's a little too high for him to get over it and steer it on target.

71 mins Substitution        Lacen (OUT)  Riyad Mahrez (IN)

71  mins Gourcuff makes his second change of the evening, with Lacen making way for Mahrez. Bentaleb will now take up a central position with the Leicester City winger likely to operate from the left.

69 mins The game is beginning to open up now, with passes being sent in behind the defences at both ends. Ghana could really do with winning this, while Algeria won't want to go into their final game against Senegal needing a result.



67 mins Gyan finds space between Bougherra and Mandi and races towards the box. He opts to take his shot early and loses his footing as he does so, fumbling his effort far wide of the upright.

66 mins JUST WIDE! Algeria break at pace, with Feghouli finding Brahimi, who sends a pass out to the left for an unmarked Bentaleb. The Tottenham midfielder attempts to guide a shot inside the far post, but he sends it off target!

65 mins Wakaso flights a free kick into the box from deep on the right but his delivery is poor, flying beyond every man in the box on its way out for a goal kick.

63 mins The Black Stars counterattack and Gyan times his run through the middle perfectly. Jordan Ayew clips a pass over the top to him but the flag goes up on the far side for a rather controversial offside decision! He was onside, without a doubt.

61 mins SO CLOSE! Ghana switch the play out to the left for Andre Ayew, and he turns Mandi inside out before sending a low cross to Jordan Ayew on the corner of the six-yard box. He flings a foot at the delivery and flicks a shot just over the top.

59 mins Bentaleb clips a long pass up from the left, looking for Slimani. He gets too much behind it, though, and Razak is able to collect before the Sporting striker can get anywhere near it.

57 mins Algeria are yet to get going in this half, so Gourcuff will be expecting Slimani to make an impact in the later stages. He scored in their previous outing against South Africa and plays in a different style to Belfodil, so shouldn't concede as many free kicks.

56 mins Substitution        Ishak Belfodil (OUT)  Slimani islam (IN)

55 mins Substitution        Afriyie Acquah (OUT)  Wakaso(IN)

52 mins GYAN! That's the best opening of the game! Badu opens up the game with a pass out to Afful on the right. Ghoulam doesn't close him down quickly enough and he gets a cross to the near post for the former Sunderland striker. With Bougherra trailing behind him, he connects with a diving header but places it wide of the far post! M'Bolhi was rooted to the spot!

51 mins Mandi pushes up on the right and manages to keep Belfodil's pass in play before digging out a cross towards the back post. He aims it too close to Razak, who claims unchallenged.

50 mins Andre Ayew has gone down after having his foot stepped on by Belfodil. The Algerian didn't mean it, though, and the Marseille man is soon back to his feet to continue.

49 mins Mensah opens up the play with a fantastic cross-field ball out to Afful on the right. He controls it with his chest but cannot stop the ball from going out for a throw in to Algeria. This is a bright start to the second half from the Black Stars, though.

47 mins Jordan Ayew picks up the ball on the left side of the box and throws a couple of stepovers at Mandi before shifting it to the right. He then fires an effort towards goal which the right-back gets a block too, enabling M'Bolhi to gather with minimal fuss.

46 mins We are back underway in Mongomo, with no changes from either side!
The teams are heading back out onto the pitch, so the second half will begin shortly.

HALF TIME - Ghana 0-0 Algeria: It's been a match of few chances in this Group C encounter, with the Fennec Foxes just about edging possession in the first half. Neither goalkeeper has been tested yet, with the referee's whistle continually interrupting the play throughout the first half. The Black Stars could well be playing for their Afcon lives after the interval, so be sure to stay tuned!

45 + 2 mins There is the half-time whistle!

45 + 1 mins Yellow Card ---- Madjid Bougherra

45 mins Great block! Atsu has come to life in the last few minutes, and he squares the ball to Gyan inside the box. The striker loses his feets as he releases a shot, and Bougherra is positioned perfectly to intercept!

43 mins Great covering from Medjani! The centre-back has to get across as Atsu beats Ghoulam for the first time this afternoon and looked to sprint into the area. He times it to perfection, but can't stop the ball going out for a throw in.

41 m ins We are edging closer towards the interval and it remains all square for the moment. Ghana will be happy to have kept their opponents off the scoresheet, but they've offered very little themselves so far.

Read more AFCON news here
39 mins Belfodil controls a long ball at the top of the box exquisitely before spinning towards the centre. He spots Brahimi streaming up from deep and attempts to roll a pass in behind the defence for him. It's far too weak, though, and Amartey removes the threat.

38 mins Afful sprints forward on the right and whips a great cross towards Gyan in the centre of the box. Bougherra beats him to it, though, and gets enough contact on the ball to send it clear of his area.

36 mins There's no real variation to Ghana's play at the moment and the opposing defence are dealing with them comfortably. To be fair, Algeria have hardly shone so far either, with the only real opening being the one forged for Bentaleb in the 20th minute!

34 mins The tempo of the game has been sapped as a result of the series of free kicks we've seen over the past 10 minutes or so. Acquah fizzes a pass into Gyan but it is far too powerful for the striker to control.

Read more AFCON news here

32 mins It's been a really scrappy game so far, with numerous poor challenges going in. Rahman catches Taider with his knee in a wide right position and the Sassuolo midfielder whips in the resultant free kick. He fails to find a team-mate, though, and another set-piece opportunity is wasted.

30 mins Tempers are flaring here! Bentaleb and Belfodil react badly to a challenge from Badu on the near side, with the Ghanaian taking a shove from the Tottenham man for grabbing the striker's shirt while he was down on the ground. The referee allows things to cool down and then encourages the players to shake hands and continue.

29 mins Ghana don't seem to be able to get the ball to Gyan's feet. The majority of the service that he has received has been in the air, and he's found it difficult to feed off that so far. The Black Stars are awarded a free kick inside the centre-circle and it is clipped long for Mensah, but it evades him to go out for a goal kick.

29 mins Ghana don't seem to be able to get the ball to Gyan's feet. The majority of the service that he has received has been in the air, and he's found it difficult to feed off that so far. The Black Stars are awarded a free kick inside the centre-circle and it is clipped long for Mensah, but it evades him to go out for a goal kick.

Read more AFCON news here

27 mins long ball up from the back is headed behind for a corner by Ghoulam, and Atsu comes across to clear it. His delivery heads for a swarm of bodies on the edge of the six-yard box, but the Desert Warriors manage to get it clear.

26 mins Yellow Card Afriyie Acquah

25 mins Jordan Ayew attempts a one-two with Atsu on the far side but the return pass is intercepted and Algeria look to come away with the ball. Acquah does his best to stop that with a lunging challenge on Taider, but it only serves to earn him a yellow card.

23 mins Gyan gets a touch on a long pass up from the back and Jordan Ayew attempts to latch onto it. Medjani gets across and blocks him off, drawing a shove from the Marseille man which results in a free kick to Algeria.

22 mins Acquah puts in a horrendous challenge on Brahimi on the halfway line, jumping in with both feet and failing to win the ball. The Porto forward comes out of it unscathed, but the referee does not get a card out of his pocket.

Read more AFCON news here

20 mins WHAT A CHANCE! Mandi is played down to the byline by Feghouli and he cuts a pass back for Bentaleb inside the box. He fails to connect with his shot adequately, leaving it for his left foot and failing to hit the target. He's moved into a more advanced, central position, with Brahimi coming out to the left now.

19 mins Ghana have had a few forays forward into the Algeria half, but at the moment it remains the Fennec Foxes' game!

17 mins That's a nasty challenge on Andre Ayew! Taider probably didn't mean it, but he stamps down just above the wide-man's ankle on the far side. The referee clearly didn't think there was anything in it as no free kick is awarded, nor a card shown.

16 mins Belfodil is going to have a difficult game if the referee continues to award free kicks against him when he uses his body to shield the ball from the opposition. He could have created an opening inside the box there had he not be adjudged to back in to Mensah.

Read more AFCON news here

15 mins fful sends a long throw in to the Algeria box but Gyan is unable to control it. His touch does fall for Jordan Ayew, but the forward was in an offside position.

14 mins Brahimi's delivery is extremely poor, failing to beat the first defender who heads it away.

13 mins Afriyie Acquah, restored to the Ghana side today, is perhaps a little over-eager in an aerial challenge and gives away a free kick on the left. Yacine Brahimi stands over it but his delivery is not the best. Ghana hack the ball away frantically - they're lacking a bit of composure early on here.

10 mins Algeria are marginally on top in the opening stages here. They're winning most of the 50/50 balls in midfield, with Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb snapping into challenges with particular relish.

Read more AFCON news here

6 min Goodness me, Ghana keeper Razak Braimah almost makes an awful error here. The ball comes back to him and under no pressure he takes a horribly heavy touch that almost allows Yacine Brahimi to nip in and score. Heart-in-mouth moment for the Ghana stopper.

Ghana 0-0 Algeria

4 mins Algeria have a free-kick 25 yards for a fairly innocuous-looking aerial challenge. It's drilled well wide by left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.

Ghana 0-0 Algeria

2 mins Algeria's Ishak Belfodil spreads the ball wide to bring right-back Aissa Mandi into play. Mandi played pretty well in the first game, despite conceding a penalty, but his attempted through-ball is poor on this occasion.

"The stadium is still not full. Those checks outside - Ebola and security - do slow things down. Haven't heard any suggestion of trouble here though..."

Read more AFCON news here

KICK-OFF

Ghana 0-0 Algeria

Posted at

Ghana goalkeeper Razak Braimah says a little prayer, and we're under way. Algeria in green, Ghana in white

LINE-UPS

Ghana v Algeria

Ghana: Razak, Amartey, Mensah, Afful, Baba, Afriyie, Atsu, Agyemang-Badu, Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Gyan. Subs: Sowah, Appiah, Gyimah, Awal, Wakaso, Rabiu, Asante, Otoo, Accam, Boye, Acheampong, Dauda.

Algeria: M'Bolhi, Mandi, Bougherra, Medjani, Ghoulam, Taider, Lacen, Bentaleb, Feghouli, Belfodil, Brahimi. Subs: Doukha, Cadamuro, Halliche, Mesbah, Mahrez, Slimani, Soudani, Kadir, Djabou, Kashi, Zeffane, Zemmamouche.

Read more AFCON news here
Referee: Koman Coulibaly (Mali)

47 mins Jordan Ayew picks up the ball on the left side of the box and throws a couple of stepovers at Mandi before shifting it to the right. He then fires an effort towards goal which the right-back gets a block too, enabling M'Bolhi to gather with minimal fuss.

46 mins We are back underway in Mongomo, with no changes from either side!
The teams are heading back out onto the pitch, so the second half will begin shortly.


HALF TIME - Ghana 0-0 Algeria: It's been a match of few chances in this Group C encounter, with the Fennec Foxes just about edging possession in the first half. Neither goalkeeper has been tested yet, with the referee's whistle continually interrupting the play throughout the first half. The Black Stars could well be playing for their Afcon lives after the interval, so be sure to stay tuned!

45 + 2 mins There is the half-time whistle!

45 + 1 mins Yellow Card ---- Madjid Bougherra

45 mins Great block! Atsu has come to life in the last few minutes, and he squares the ball to Gyan inside the box. The striker loses his feets as he releases a shot, and Bougherra is positioned perfectly to intercept!

43 mins Great covering from Medjani! The centre-back has to get across as Atsu beats Ghoulam for the first time this afternoon and looked to sprint into the area. He times it to perfection, but can't stop the ball going out for a throw in.

41 m ins We are edging closer towards the interval and it remains all square for the moment. Ghana will be happy to have kept their opponents off the scoresheet, but they've offered very little themselves so far.

Read more AFCON news here
39 mins Belfodil controls a long ball at the top of the box exquisitely before spinning towards the centre. He spots Brahimi streaming up from deep and attempts to roll a pass in behind the defence for him. It's far too weak, though, and Amartey removes the threat.

38 mins Afful sprints forward on the right and whips a great cross towards Gyan in the centre of the box. Bougherra beats him to it, though, and gets enough contact on the ball to send it clear of his area.

36 mins There's no real variation to Ghana's play at the moment and the opposing defence are dealing with them comfortably. To be fair, Algeria have hardly shone so far either, with the only real opening being the one forged for Bentaleb in the 20th minute!

34 mins The tempo of the game has been sapped as a result of the series of free kicks we've seen over the past 10 minutes or so. Acquah fizzes a pass into Gyan but it is far too powerful for the striker to control.

Read more AFCON news here

32 mins It's been a really scrappy game so far, with numerous poor challenges going in. Rahman catches Taider with his knee in a wide right position and the Sassuolo midfielder whips in the resultant free kick. He fails to find a team-mate, though, and another set-piece opportunity is wasted.

30 mins Tempers are flaring here! Bentaleb and Belfodil react badly to a challenge from Badu on the near side, with the Ghanaian taking a shove from the Tottenham man for grabbing the striker's shirt while he was down on the ground. The referee allows things to cool down and then encourages the players to shake hands and continue.

29 mins Ghana don't seem to be able to get the ball to Gyan's feet. The majority of the service that he has received has been in the air, and he's found it difficult to feed off that so far. The Black Stars are awarded a free kick inside the centre-circle and it is clipped long for Mensah, but it evades him to go out for a goal kick.

29 mins Ghana don't seem to be able to get the ball to Gyan's feet. The majority of the service that he has received has been in the air, and he's found it difficult to feed off that so far. The Black Stars are awarded a free kick inside the centre-circle and it is clipped long for Mensah, but it evades him to go out for a goal kick.

Read more AFCON news here

27 mins long ball up from the back is headed behind for a corner by Ghoulam, and Atsu comes across to clear it. His delivery heads for a swarm of bodies on the edge of the six-yard box, but the Desert Warriors manage to get it clear.


26 mins Yellow Card Afriyie Acquah

25 mins Jordan Ayew attempts a one-two with Atsu on the far side but the return pass is intercepted and Algeria look to come away with the ball. Acquah does his best to stop that with a lunging challenge on Taider, but it only serves to earn him a yellow card.

23 mins Gyan gets a touch on a long pass up from the back and Jordan Ayew attempts to latch onto it. Medjani gets across and blocks him off, drawing a shove from the Marseille man which results in a free kick to Algeria.

22 mins Acquah puts in a horrendous challenge on Brahimi on the halfway line, jumping in with both feet and failing to win the ball. The Porto forward comes out of it unscathed, but the referee does not get a card out of his pocket.

Read more AFCON news here

20 mins WHAT A CHANCE! Mandi is played down to the byline by Feghouli and he cuts a pass back for Bentaleb inside the box. He fails to connect with his shot adequately, leaving it for his left foot and failing to hit the target. He's moved into a more advanced, central position, with Brahimi coming out to the left now.


19 mins Ghana have had a few forays forward into the Algeria half, but at the moment it remains the Fennec Foxes' game!

17 mins That's a nasty challenge on Andre Ayew! Taider probably didn't mean it, but he stamps down just above the wide-man's ankle on the far side. The referee clearly didn't think there was anything in it as no free kick is awarded, nor a card shown.

16 mins Belfodil is going to have a difficult game if the referee continues to award free kicks against him when he uses his body to shield the ball from the opposition. He could have created an opening inside the box there had he not be adjudged to back in to Mensah.

Read more AFCON news here

15 mins fful sends a long throw in to the Algeria box but Gyan is unable to control it. His touch does fall for Jordan Ayew, but the forward was in an offside position.


14 mins Brahimi's delivery is extremely poor, failing to beat the first defender who heads it away.

13 mins Afriyie Acquah, restored to the Ghana side today, is perhaps a little over-eager in an aerial challenge and gives away a free kick on the left. Yacine Brahimi stands over it but his delivery is not the best. Ghana hack the ball away frantically - they're lacking a bit of composure early on here.


10 mins Algeria are marginally on top in the opening stages here. They're winning most of the 50/50 balls in midfield, with Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb snapping into challenges with particular relish.

Read more AFCON news here

6 min Goodness me, Ghana keeper Razak Braimah almost makes an awful error here. The ball comes back to him and under no pressure he takes a horribly heavy touch that almost allows Yacine Brahimi to nip in and score. Heart-in-mouth moment for the Ghana stopper.

Ghana 0-0 Algeria

4 mins Algeria have a free-kick 25 yards for a fairly innocuous-looking aerial challenge. It's drilled well wide by left-back Faouzi Ghoulam.

Ghana 0-0 Algeria

2 mins Algeria's Ishak Belfodil spreads the ball wide to bring right-back Aissa Mandi into play. Mandi played pretty well in the first game, despite conceding a penalty, but his attempted through-ball is poor on this occasion.

"The stadium is still not full. Those checks outside - Ebola and security - do slow things down. Haven't heard any suggestion of trouble here though..."

Read more AFCON news here

KICK-OFF

Ghana 0-0 Algeria

Posted at

Ghana goalkeeper Razak Braimah says a little prayer, and we're under way. Algeria in green, Ghana in white

LINE-UPS

Ghana v Algeria

Ghana: Razak, Amartey, Mensah, Afful, Baba, Afriyie, Atsu, Agyemang-Badu, Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Gyan. Subs: Sowah, Appiah, Gyimah, Awal, Wakaso, Rabiu, Asante, Otoo, Accam, Boye, Acheampong, Dauda.

Algeria: M'Bolhi, Mandi, Bougherra, Medjani, Ghoulam, Taider, Lacen, Bentaleb, Feghouli, Belfodil, Brahimi. Subs: Doukha, Cadamuro, Halliche, Mesbah, Mahrez, Slimani, Soudani, Kadir, Djabou, Kashi, Zeffane, Zemmamouche.

Read more AFCON news here
Referee: Koman Coulibaly (Mali)