Ghana breathed life into their Africa Cup of Nations campaign by ensuring a narrow 1-0 win over Mali on Thursday in Port Elizebeth.
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The match, which was a repeat of the 2012 finals 3rd place match, saw Ghana exact revenge after losing 2-0 for the bronze medal.
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Both coaches made changes to their starting line-ups for the opening Group matches against DR Congo and Niger respectively.
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The Malians were the first to threaten the Ghana goal area when captain Seydou Keita nearly scored the opener on 7 minutes..
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Ghana need a draw against Niger in the final Group B match on Monday in Port Elizabeth to qualify.