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Summary Mali defeated 10-man Ghana 2-0 in a play-off to finish third at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Cheick Diabate scored in each half as Mali defeated 10-man Ghana 2-0 in a play-off Saturday to finish third at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.The big Bordeaux striker poked in a rebound midway through the opening half and tapped home a cross with 10 minutes left after Ghana defender Isaac Vorsah had been red carded for a second caution.It was fourth time lucky for the Malian Eagles as they lost three previous third place matches in the African football showpiece while the Ghanaian Black Stars were suffering a second loss in three play-off appearances.Striker Asamoah Gyan, who missed a penalty in the semi-final loss to Zambia, was a notable omission as Ghana made four changes with suspensions ruling out defender John Boye and midfielder Derek Boateng.Mali also had four new faces compared to the side that took Ivory Coast to the wire in the other semi-final with goalkeeper Oumar Sissoko, defenders Ousmane Coulibaly and Abdoulaye Maiga and striker Garra Dembele coming in.
