U-17 World Cup: Ghana 2-0 Niger - As it happened

by Graeme Jackson

Wednesday Oct 18, 2017. 15:28

Welcome to coverage of the 2017 U-17 World Cup last 16 match between Ghana and Niger from the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Commentary:
All times CAT

90+6' - Full time - Done and dusted, Ghana are deserved winners and will face fellow Africans Mali in the quarterfinals on Saturday! A brave effort from Niger, who can take pride from having made it to the second round in their tournament debut.

90+2' - Yellow card - Niger's Soumana booked for a rash challenge in midfield.

90+1' - Substitution - Niger's second change sees Wa Massamba make way for Hamid Galissoune.

90' - GOAL! Ghana 2-0 Niger - Danso with a superb long-range strike to make it 2-0 and that has surely killed off Niger!

86' - Penalty saved! Ayiah takes the spot kick and looks for the same part of the net he scored in from the first half, but Lawali makes a fine save this time!

85' - Substitution - Richard Danso replaces Toku in Ghana's final change.

84' - Penalty! Another spot kick to Ghana, with Idrissa tripping Toku in the box. A clear foul, no doubt about it, and this is Ghana's chance to kill off Niger.

81' - Lawali and Yakubu collide at a Ghana corner kick. It's adjudged a foul from the Black Starlets player and both are down receiving treatment.

78' - Substitution - Mohammed Iddriss replaces Gyamfi in Ghana's second change.

77' - Substitution - Karim Tinni replaces Sofiane in Niger's first change.

76' - Niger 'keeper Lawali is now down and calling for treatment. We've had several injury breaks in this second half...

73' - Mensah crosses from the right, Arko-Mensah gets up to meet the ball but sends his header well off target.

70' - Twenty minutes of regulation time to play. Ghana's one-goal lead is a perilous one, though Niger have yet to really threaten in the final third.

66' - Mensah with the miss of the tournament, somehow putting the ball over the bar from just a metre or so out! It was easier to score than put it over!

65' - Toku with a great dummy to open space for a curling shot which is well saved by Lawali! The best moment of the second half so far.

64' - Substitution - Ghana's first change sees the injured Owusu make way for John Otu.

62' - Owusu has gone down for Ghana and he's calling for a substitution.

61' - Past the hour mark in Navi Mumbai, Ghana hold the advantage thanks to Eric Ayiah's penalty late in the first half.

58' - Ghana's Toku receiving some treatment after suffering a kick to the right shin. He'll be stretchered off and that could well be the end of his game...

56' - Ghana with a sustained spell of pressure, but as Ayiah tries to get a shot away on the edge of the box he is crowded out by several orange-clad defenders.

52' - Niger blow a great attacking opportunity with an over-hit pass. The Young Menas have wasted several such chances through the match.

48' - Yellow card - Ghana's Mensah is booked for a rough aerial challenge.

46' - Back underway in the second half, no changes from either team at the break.

45+5' - Half time - Ghana lead at the break thanks to that late, late penalty. Given the Black Starlets' dominance, you'd say they are good value for their one-goal advantage.

45+4' - GOAL! Ghana 1-0 Niger - Ayiah dusts himself off and coolly finishes from the penalty to put Ghana ahead!

45+3' - Penalty! - Idrissa with a clear foul on Ayiah and Ghana have a spot kick late in the half!

45+1' - Arko-Mensah with a chance to play in a dangerous cross from a free kick out wide, but the midfielder puts his delivery straight for a goal kick.

45' - There will be four minutes of added time.

43' - Namata makes a superb tackle on Arko-Mensah in the penalty area... he had to time that perfectly to prevent giving away a spot kick.

40' - Lawali has to make a save from Yakubu's awkward cross from the right flank which threatened to drift into the goal.

39' - Toku with a fiercely-hit shot which is blocked by a defender, before Ayiah sends an effort high and wide from the rebound.

37' - Snappy passing from Ghana to open up space for Sulley to shoot, his effort was scuffed at goal and comfortably saved by Lawali.

34' - Ayiah with a sight of goal, but he snatches at it too quickly and slices the ball wide of the mark.

33' - Niger's Sofiane steps on the ankle of Toku and is perhaps a little fortunate not to be booked for that challenge.

30' - Idrissa with a desperate clearance from Ayiah's dangerous ball into the box. It seems only a matter of time until Ghana find a way through...

27' - Ghana corner kick and goalkeeper Lawali makes an excellent punch under pressure. Ghana's Owusu is penalised for an aerial foul on the gloves-man.

25' - Fine play by Ghana, Arko-Mensah has a shot from the edge of the box and Lawali makes a super save to keep it at 0-0! The closest we've come to a goal in this match.

23' - Midway through the first half, goalless in Navi Mumbai. Ghana have looked the better team thus far, but Niger are giving a good account of themselves.

19' - Ayiah looks to sneak in behind to meet a long ball, but he's penalised for a push on Niger defender Idrissa.

17' - Great goalkeeping from Ghana's Danlad as he comes off his line to emphatically punch clear a dangerous cross from Wa Massamba. Took a knock for his troubles, but he'll be fine after a bit of treatment.

16' - Past the quarter hour mark, still goalless between Ghana and Niger. No genuine chances at either end so far.

13' - Niger's Ibrahim looks set to break free on the counter attack, but Mensah comes across to make a strong sliding tackle.

10' - Lovely footwork from Ghana's Arko-Mensah down the left flank. The Black Starlets look much the more settled and confident side thus far.

8' - Niger with a couple of corner kicks, but they don't threaten Ghana from either of them. The Young Menas will need to make the most of their set pieces.

7' - Gyamfi is back on his feet after some 'magic spray', looks like he'll be okay.

6' - Ghana's Gyamfi looks to have picked up a knee and/or ankle injury in challenge with Sofiane.

4' - Another corner for Ghana, this time Sulley gets a head on it but his effort is mis-timed and sent well wide of the target.

2' - Early half chance for Ghana's Sulley as he gets in behind the defence, but goalkeeper Lawali comes quickly off his line and ensures it's only a corner kick.

1' - Kick-off - We are underway in Navi Mumbai! Ghana wear all-white, while Niger are in all-orange.

13h20 - A reminder that the winner of this match will meet Mali (who thrashed Iraq 5-1 yesterday) in an all-African quarterfinal on Saturday.

13h10 - Today's clash will be handled by Portuguese referee Artur Soares Dias.

13h00 - Half an hour to kick-off, here are the starting line-ups:

Ghana: Ibrahim Danlad, Edmund Arko-Mensah, Najeeb Yakubu, Eric Ayiah, Ibrahim Sulley, Emmanuel Toko, Gabriel Leveh, Bismark Owusu, Gideon Mensah, Rashid Alhassan, Isaac Gyamfi

Niger: Khaled Lawali, Yacine Wa Massamba, Nasser Mahaman, Farouk Idrissa, Inoussa Amadou, Habibou Sofiane, Kader Aboubacar, Rachid Soumana, Ibrahim Boubacar, Ibrahim Namata, Salim Abdourahmane