Serbia v Ghana full time result
Serbia 0 Ghana 1
A late penalty from Asamoah Gyan earned Ghana a deserved victory over 10-man Serbia in Pretoria, giving an African nation a first win at the 2010 World Cup.
Gyan kept his cool after Zdravko Kuzmanovic handled inside his area with less than seven minutes left on the clock at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, sending goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic the wrong way from the spot.
Serbia's Aleksandar Lukovic had earlier received his marching orders for two bookable offences - the second of which for hauling back the lively Gyan - in an open match that should probably have produced more goals.
Gyan hit a post with a header from John Pantsil's long throw, and again in stoppage time with a terrific curling effort, while a disappointing Serbia were left to rue Milos Krasic's shot that went straight at goalkeeper Richard Kingson when he should have scored.
Ghana were excellent, and produced what is arguably the biggest shock of the tournament so far, beating the heavily fancied Serbs.
In a fast paced, open match, it was a surprise that neither side made the breakthrough in the first half.
A bright start saw Serbia's Marko Pantelic and Ghana's Anthony Annan both try their luck from distance in the opening 90 seconds, before Gyan hit a free kick over the bar after Nemanja Vidic had felled Prince Tagoe.
Ghana started the better of the two, and giant Serbia striker Nikola Zigic was forced to block a powerful Kwadwo Asamoah strike after Gyan's clever backheel, before captain John Mensah headed a free kick wide and Kevin-Prince Boateng's excellent cross was just missed by an onrushing Gyan.
Serbia threatened sporadically in the first half, as Pantelic failed to control Nenad Milijas' clever free kick, Aleksandar Kolarov's left footed free kick flew narrowly wide and Pantelic's long range effort hit the side netting.
An excellent run from Milan Jovanovic could only end in a disappointing shot early in the second period, before, at the other end, 20-year-old Andre Ayew headed a Tagoe cross wide when he should have done better.
Both sides were creating chances, and after Ayew blazed an effort wide, Gyan hit the outside of the post with a header from John Pantsil's long throw.
Serbia's Zigic fluffed his lines from a Pantelic cross before that, and the 6ft 8ins striker wasn't tall enough to reach a Dejan Stankovic cross soon after.
Lukovic - who had been booked early in the second half - then received his marching orders for pulling back the dangerous Gyan when he was the last man. It was obvious yellow card, his second of the match.
But the red card appeared to inspire Serbia, and substitute Danko Lazovic's cut back from the left found Milos Krasic, who could only shoot straight at goalkeeper Kingson when well placed, while Vidic headed over from a corner seconds later.
The loss of a man didn't appear to affect right back Branislav Ivanovic, whose burst forward ended with a shot just over the crossbar, but heartbreak was just around the corner for him and Serbia, and Kuzmanovic's error gifted Gyan the chance to become a national hero.
He did just that, and there was still time for him to hit the post in the dying stages.
No matter, this was an African victory that will be celebrated across the continent.
The margin is irrelevant.
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