Ghana became the first African nation to take all three points at the 2010 World Cup with a deserved 1-0 victory over ten-man Serbia. Serbia: 0 Ghana: 1
Venue: Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria Crowd: 38,833 Officials Referee: Hector Baldassi (Argentina) Assistants: Ricardo Casas (Argentina) and Hernan Maidana (Argentina) Fourth official: Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia) Yellow cards:SERB - Kuzmanovic, Zigic GHA - Vorsah, Tagoe
Red cards: Lukovic (Serbia) A penalty nine minutes from time was enough to give Ghana a 1-0 win over a disappointing Serbia outfit.
A lively game, with both teams committed to attack always looked likely to go the way of Ghana who had more of a cutting edge than the Serbians.
Serbia had their chances from some innovative set plays from free kicks, but it was the Black Stars who had the urgency about them to claim all the points.
Ironically, the goal came when Serbia were reduced to ten men and looking the more threatening.
With 11 minutes remaining Milos Krasic found himself in front of goal 12 yards out, but his shot was too close to Richard Kingson and the keeper pushes it over the bar and with it Serbia's best chance of the game.
Yet in the end it wasn't Aleksandar Lukovic dismissal for two yellow cards that sent Serbia to defeat but an inexplicable hand ball by substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic who raised his hand to push the ball away.
From the penalty spot Asamoah Gyan had no problems in sending Vladimir Stojkovic the wrong way and the Ghana supporters into raptures.
Kuzmanovic then had a chance to atone for his error but blazed over when well placed, then Gyan could have clinched the win in injury time but his cross shot hit the inside of the post and bounced to safety. Starting Line-Ups
SERB
1. Vladimir Stojkovic 6. Branislav Ivanovic 13. Aleksandar Lukovic 5. Nemanja Vidic 3. Aleksandar Kolarov 17. Milos Krasic 11. Nenad Milijas (Kuzmanovic, 62) 10. Dejan Stankovic 14. Milan Jovanovic (Subotic, 76) 9. Marko Pantelic 15. Nikola Zigic (Lazovic, 69) SUBS
12. Bojan Isailovic (GK) 2. Antonio Rukavina 4. Gojko Kacar 7. Zoran Tosic 8. Danko Lazovic 16. Ivan Obradovic 18. Milos Ninkovic 19. Radosav Petrovic 20. Neven Subotic 21. Dragan Mrdja 22. Zdravko Kuzmanovic 23. Andjelko Djuricic (GK) GHA
22. Richard Kingson 4. John Pantsil 15. Issac Vorsah 5. John Mensah 2. Hans Sarpei 12. Prince Tagoe 6. Anthony Annan 23. Kevin-Prince Boateng (Addy, 90+1) 13. Andre Ayew 21. Kwadwo Asamoah (Appiah, 73) 3. Asamoah Gyan (Owusu-Abeyie, 90+3)
SUBS
1. Daniel Adjei (GK) 7. Samuel Inkoom 8. Jonathan Mensah 9. Derek Boateng 10. Stephen Appiah 11. Sulley Muntari 14. Matthew Amoah 17. Rahim Ayew 18. Dominic Adiyah 19. Lee Addy 20. Quincy Owusu-Abeyie 16. Stephen Ahorlu (GK)
