<<Print>>

Mali coach Patrice Carteron has slammed referee Noumandiez Doue insisitng the Ivorian official prevented his side from beating Ghana at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. The Black Stars beat Mali 1-0 in Group B of the tournament in South Africa on Thursday to enhance their chances of reaching the quarter-final of the competition. The result left Mali furious that the Ivorian referee did not red-card Ghana goalkeeper Fatau Dauda in the sixth minute for handling outside the box with Seydou Keita poised to score. Dauda escaped with a caution, skipper Keita was just off target from the free-kick, and that was as close as the Eagles came to scoring with the Ghana defence comfortably containing a blunt strike force. �The referee did not help us because he ought to have sent off the Ghana goalkeeper rather than just booking him for handling the ball outside his area,� Mali coach Carteron said. But there was some relief for France-born Carteron when DR Congo, fancied to defeat Niger in the later match after coming from two goals behind last weekend to hold Ghana, failed to spark in a tedious stalemate. It was the first point for the Nigeriens in the competition after losses to Gabon, Tunisia and Morocco in the 2012 tournament and to Mali last Sunday in a Group B opener.