JOHANNESBURG, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Mali and Ghana meet to decide the bronze medal at the African Nations Cup for a second successive tournament on Saturday.

Mali beat Ghana a year ago in Malabo to take third place at the last edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and Saturday’s match in Port Elizabeth will go to the side best able to put aside the trauma of missing out on the final again.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi intends to prove a point about the prowess of African coaches when his side take on Burkina Faso in Sunday’s African Nations Cup final.

The former international defender could become only the second man to win the title as a coach and a player – he was captain when Nigeria last won the title in 1996.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi has been banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after his controversial performance in Wednesday’s African Nations Cup semi-final between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

“CAF was not happy with the standard of refereeing in the match,” general secretary Hicham El Amrani told a media briefing on Thursday.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi has been banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after his controversial performance in Wednesday’s African Nations Cup semi-final between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

“CAF was not happy with the standard of refereeing in the match,” general secretary Hicham El Amrani told a media briefing on Thursday.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso won a first African Nations Cup final place on Wednesday after a sensational penalty shootout win over Ghana but will take the field on Sunday without key player Jonathan Pitroipa who was shown a controversial red card.

Burkina, who will meet Nigeria at Soccer City, edged their neighbours 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time in the semi-final at the Mbombela Stadium to continue the dream run by a team who started as rank outsiders.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso won a first African Nations Cup final place on Wednesday after a sensational penalty shootout win over Ghana but will take the field on Sunday without key player Jonathan Pitroipa who was shown a controversial red card.

Burkina, who will meet Nigeria at Soccer City, edged their neighbours 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time in the semi-final at the Mbombela Stadium to continue the dream run by a team who started as rank outsiders.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso reached the African Nations Cup final for the first time with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoutout win over Ghana on Wednesday after their semi-final ended 1-1 following extra time.

They clinched the victory after Emmanuel Agyemang Badu missed Ghana’s third penalty after a weak shimmy and shot.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso reached the African Nations Cup final for the first time with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoutout win over Ghana on Wednesday after their semi-final ended 1-1 following extra time.

They clinched the victory after Emmanuel Agyemang Badu missed Ghana’s third penalty after a weak shimmy and shot.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 6 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso hope to break new ground and book a first African Nations Cup final appearance when they ‘host’ Ghana in Nelspruit on Wednesday.

The west African country take on their southern neighbours at the Mbombela Stadium (1830 GMT), which they say has become something of a fortress for them after four undefeated matches in the provincial town.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso coach Paul Put, whose own career was blighted by his involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Belgium in 2005, says the problem has always existed in football and little can be done.

The Belgian has made progress in his bid to rehabilitate his reputation by taking the unfancied side to the African Nations Cup semi-finals on Wednesday but his murky past has become a focus in the build-up since the release of Europol’s report this week detailing widespread European match-fixing.