<<Print>>

Ghana got off to a flying start in their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign as they cruised to a 2-0 victory at home against 10-man Malawi on Saturday. A goal each inside the first 10 minutes of either half put the game out of reach for the home side, as the Black Stars hold onto a good lead ahead of the return match. Goals from Christian Atsu and Anthony Annan in the interval made it a good result for Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium. Any fears that it could have been a tricky afternoon for Kwesi Appiah's men in the first leg of the final round match were evident as the Flames stayed compact and occasionally broke away on the counter. Despite lots of possession, the scoreline proved to be unfair for the Black Stars. Atsu who was starting in his first home match for Ghana, handed the Black Stars a perfect start when he tapped-in from close range after 8 minutes from an Andre Ayew shot. The midfielder instantly settled into the game, creating many chances but could not find the back of the net again. Ghana, stepped up to increase their lead but the Flames made no mistake giving little chance to end the half a goal down.