MALABO, Equatorial Guinea – Mali beat 10-man Ghana 2-0 Saturday in the third-place match at the African Cup of Nations for its best finish since it lost the 1972 final.
Cheick Diabate scored twice for Mali, which avenged its 2-0 defeat to Ghana in the group stage. Ghana ended with successive losses after its surprising loss in the semifinals to Zambia.
Diabate pounced on a rebound to put Mali ahead in the 23rd minute and then slid in for the goal that sealed victory with 10 minutes left. Ghana's Isaac Vorsah was ejected in the 64th minute.
Four-time champion Ghana has finished third, second and fourth in the last three African Cups and hasn't won the title for 30 years.
In Libreville, Gabon, on Sunday, Ivory Coast is favored to win its second African Cup title when it plays Zambia.
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