INSTANT ANALYSIS Ghana lead the group after cruising in their first match vs Australia. Japan and Ivory Coast battled to a scoreless draw; the Blue Samurai will feel hard done by the result, while the Elephants will be pleased with their defensive effort. Senegal were sidelined for the round, with Cameroon manager-less for the time being. MATCH RECAPS Japan 0-0 Ivory Coast CS: E. Kawashima CS: A. Copa A. Copa Ivory Coast and Japan played out a 0-0 draw to open World Cup Qualification for the Africa/Asia region. It was a battle of contrasting styles, as Japan's technical ability was canceled out by the strength and physicality of the Ivory Coast squad. Neither team did much in the 1st half, being careful not to make the 1st mistake. The game opened up in the 2nd half, but the Blue Samurai could not break through the Ivorian defense. Ghana 3-0 Australia M. Wakaso (GHA) M. Essien (GHA) M. Wakaso (GHA) CS: R. Kingson M. Essien Australia provided little resistance for Ghana in their opening qualification match. It took the Black Stars almost the entire half to get on the board, and a 45th minute goal by M. Wakaso seemed to break the Socceroos spirit. A. Ayew was the game-changer in the second half, as he provided assists for Man-of-the-Match M. Essien and Wakaso to put Ghana on top of the group after the first round. Cameroon - Senegal Cameroon are without a manger for the foreseeable future, so the match goes unplayed. Senegal will look to get their qualification campaign started in the next round vs Japan. PLAYER OF THE ROUND A. Copa - The Ivorian shot-stopper did just that, stopped shots, in a 0-0 draw with Japan. With an assist from his goal posts, Copa kept the Japanese attack at bay, preserving a point for a surprisingly inept Elephant attack. NEXT ROUND (February 19-26) Ghana (3 Pts) - Cameroon (0 Pts) Senegal (0 Pts) - Japan (1 Pts) Australia (0 Pts) - Ivory Coast (1 Pts)
