Ghana defeated Mali 2-0 in Gabon on Saturday night to leave Group D of the Africa Cup of Nations wide open after Guinea earlier hammered Botswana 6-1.

The 2010 World Cup participants are now top of the group on six points from two matches, while Guinea and their opening-day conquerors Mali are on three points, with all three teams still in the reckoning to advance to the knockout stage.

On Wednesday, Mali will battle Botswana in Libreville and Ghana take on Guinea in Franceville in the final throw of the Group D dice.

Star striker Asamoah Gyan opened the scoring for Ghana in the 63rd minute with a well-struck free-kick from the edge of the Mali box after Andre Ayew was brought down by Bakaye Traore.

‘Baby Jet’ Gyan had struggled with an ankle injury leading up to the game but Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic insisted on fielding the UAE-based star and it paid handsome dividends.

Ayew doubled Ghana’s lead in the 76th minute when he was stylishly set up by Gyan on the edge of the Mali goal area and drove in to unleash an unstoppable shot past Soumaila Diakite.

It was a cagey start by both teams and it was not until the 25th minute that Asamoah Kwadwo made the first real attempt at goal.

The Udinese midfielder, who was starting his first game of the tournament, fired from distance only for Diakite to parry into the path of Sulley Muntari, who shot wide.

On 38 minutes, Mali responded nicely with a Cheick Diabate free-kick on the edge of the box that struck both posts with diving Ghana goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey beaten.

In first-half additional time, Ayew rose above two Mali defenders to meet a cross from the right by stand-in skipper John Pantsil, but again it was off the mark.