Substitute Mubarak Wakaso hit two goals as four-times champions Ghana ended the fairytale run of Cape Verde Islands with a 2-0 African Nations Cup quarter-final victory yesterday.

Wakaso struck twice in the second half, once from the penalty spot, as Ghana clinched a semi-final meeting with Burkina Faso or Togo.

Ghana were fortunate to break the deadlock after 54 minutes at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Referee Rajinjapasad Seechurn of Mauritius harshly ruled against Cape Verde defender Carlitos as he and Asamoah Gyan went for the ball and the Ghanaian went tumbling to the ground. Wakaso made no mistake from the spot.

Cape Verde had a chance to equalise within a minute but Heldon’s shot went narrowly wide.

Platini also went close for the islanders when he was denied by an acrobatic save from Fatau Dauda who then did even better to deny Djaniny in the closing minutes.

Wakaso added the second goal from a Ghana breakaway in the last minute when he slotted the ball into an empty net after goalkeeper Vozinha had gone up for a set piece at the other end.

Earlier, there was nothing to choose between the teams in a first half in which both sides played some good football in midfield without producing a single shot on target.

Cape Verde, making their debut appearance in the Nations Cup finals, were far from overawed in the biggest game in their relatively brief international history.

Other quarter-final
South Africa vs Mali 1-1 (Mali win 3-1 on penalties).