The Chicago Fire's preseason preparations hit full swing on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in England vs. Norwich City. But the Men in Red will have to wait a bit longer for new Designated Player David Accam, who watched from the bench as Ghana advanced to the championship final of the African Cup of Nations on Thursday via an assured 3-0 defeat of hosts Equatorial Guinea.
The Black Stars controlled most of the play, taking the lead on a Jordan Ayew penalty kick in the 42nd minute and doubling their advantage with a razor-sharp counterattack capped by Wakaso Mubarak just before halftime.
But the action on the field was only half the story. Chaos reigned in the stands at Nuevo Estadio de Malabo as Ghana's players were pelted with bottles and other debris, forcing police to protect them with a phalanx of riot shields as they made their way into the locker room at the break.
And while Andrew Ayew's strike effectively assured the result in the 75th minute, the match culminated in a lengthy delay when play was suspended with just a few minutes left to play, thanks to more violence among the crowd, much of it apparently aimed at the traveling Ghana fans.
Players from both teams were left standing quizzically at midfield as security forces attempted to restore order while a police helicopter hovered directly overhead. But in the end, play resumed just long enough for the Black Stars to complete their win, booking their place in the AFCON final vs. Ivory Coast, who defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-1 in the tournament's other semifinal.
