2017 FIFA U17 World Cup: Mali in semis, Ghana furious

The experience of playing two matches in the rain during the league phase in Mumbai, combined with the agility of the forwards, helped last edition's runners-up Mali edge past Ghana 2-1 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Saturday, to make it to the semi-finals of the U-17 World Cup.

A goal each by Hadji Drame and Djemoussa Traore in either halves of the game fashioned the win for Mali. Kudus Mohammed reduced one for Ghana when he converted a penalty kick in the second half.

But Ghana coach Samuel Fabin was left fuming after the match. Complaining about the pitch, Fabin said: "I have never encountered this kind of playing conditions in my entire football career. The playing conditions were not suitable. The match should have been abandoned. However, the officials said it should be played and we played. The pitch didn't help either team."

However, his Mali counterpart Jonas Komla said his team did not face much difficulty because of the rain-drenched pitch. "We don't have any complaint about the pitch. Both teams suffered. The spectators also suffered," Komla said.

"Our boys are conditioned to play in the rain. We played two group league matches in similar conditions."

Fabin was also pointed finger at the Algerian referee Mehdi Abid Charef, with a 40th minute goal by Ibrahim Sulley being disallowed. "The refereeing was not up to the mark. The decision of the referee to disallow the goal came quite late. The goal could have made a whole lot of difference," he complained.

"Our boys are conditioned to play in the rain. We played two group league matches in similar conditions."

Fabin was also pointed finger at the Algerian referee Mehdi Abid Charef, with a 40th minute goal by Ibrahim Sulley being disallowed. "The refereeing was not up to the mark. The decision of the referee to disallow the goal came quite late. The goal could have made a whole lot of difference," he complained.

Source: Telegraph 

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