The Black Stars of Ghana have qualified for the 2015 AFCON tournament following a convincing 3-1 victory over the Hawks of Togo in Tamale.

Mubarak Wakaso teed of Majeed Waris for the first goal before firing a screamer from 35 yards to end the proceedings of the first half.

Togo came back strongly in the second half with a crucial Jonathan Aryittey header but an own goal late on means Ghana would ride high on a palanquin to Equatorial Guinea while their West African counterparts crash out next year's tournament.

It was billed to be a cliffhanger with the visitors hugely optimistic of causing an upset in Tamale especially in the absence of three of Ghana's influential players- Asamoah Gyan, Dede Ayew and Kwadwo Asamoah. And the game lived up to its billing.

It was the depleted Ghana side who were on rampage with Jordan Ayew making an incursion in the opening embers of the game. The France based striker beat his marker beautifully but his final cross to Majeed Waris was intercepted by Agassa in post for Togo.

The host initiated several attacks from the flanks with Baba Rahman and Solomon Asante running at the opposing defence men from the left and right respectively but the Stars strikers almost always missed the net by inches.

It was only a matter of time for the Stars to break the dead lock and that time came.

Mubarak Wakasu served a delightful cross from the right in the 23rd minute and the diminutive Majeed Waris connected with a glancing header from close range for Ghana's first goal.

Four minutes later Wakasu turned from being a provider into the scorer with a 35 yards screamer - a goal which may well be the best of the qualifiers.

It would have been three if the Stars' stand-in skipper Agyemang Badu had been been selfless.

It would have been three if the Stars' stand-in skipper Agyemang Badu had been selfless in the 30th minute.The Udinese midfielder had Jordan Ayew in full view and better positioned to score but he went for goal instead of laying the pass to his striker. Jordan was mad and understandably so.

The Togo attack had been kept in check with skipper Emmanuel Adebayor dropping deep on most occasions to receive the supplies but that would not work out.

In the second half it was the guests who came with an early scare pulling a goal back from a Jonathan Aryittey header.

Togo came close to drawing parity with a swift counter attack but the final pass to Adebayor was cleared to safety by Jonathan Mensah.

In what would break many a Togo hearts, Skipper Agyemang Badu beat his marker and whipped in a cross but in a desperate bid to clear the ball the Togolese defender turned the ball into own net, restoring Ghana's two goal lead.

The game turned a bit physical with skipper Emmanuel Adebayor being the biggest culprit. 

The game ended 3-1 in favour of Ghana.

 

The following is the live update of the game.

90+3 Referee brings proceedings to an end. Ghana qualifies for Equatorial Guinea 2015 and they have Guinea also qualifying from Group E.

90+2 Togo get the chance to reduce the deficit but substitute F Aryittey who is played through by Adebayor with a cheeky back heel fires off the bar from six yards.

82  A sloppy piece of play by the Ghana defence and its Adebayor who capitalises on the blunder but Goal Keeper by Razak Braimah.

80 Christian Atsu gets involved immediately and he wants a penalty for a slight challenge on him in the vital area. Referee will have none of it.

77 Solomon Asante out; Christian Atsu in.

72 Agyemang Badu is taken off and his place taken by Edwin Gyimah.

68 Ghana restore two goal lead courtesy an own goal. Great piece of run by Agyemang Badu who whips in a cross but the Togolese defender in a desperate defending cleared the ball into his own net. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

58 Togo make another incursion from a swift counter attack and Aryittey selflessly tries to lay the pass to on-coming Adebayor but pass cleared out to safety by Ghana's Jonathan Mensah.

55 Ghana make another incursion from the left of attack and its Baba Jamal who wins a free kick just at the edge of the 18 yard box. Kick taken and its Wakasu who intelligently spots the run from Harrison Afful and lays on the cross. Afful beats his man and send in a cross which is headed straight to Agassa in post for Togo. 

47 Togo pull one back through a header by J Aryittey.

Ghana set the second half underway.

Referee brings first half proceedings to an end. 

44 Solomon Asante is brought down and there is a thunderous appeal for a penalty but the referee will have none of it. Asante picks himself up from the ground.

34 Togo win a corner from a sloppy piece of clearance by a Ghana defender. Corner taken but Adebayor's header goes wayward.

30 Ghana should have increased the tally to three but a moment of selfishness from Agyemang Badu means the results will stay same. The Udinese midfielder had Jordan Ayew in full view and better positioned to score but he went for goal instead of laying the pass to his striker. And Jordan is mad. Understandably so.

27 Mubarak Wakasu increases Ghana's tally to two with an absolute screamer; a goal of breathtaking genius. He takes a snap shot of Agassa in post for Togo and he releases a thunderbolt from 30 yards which zooms straight into the net for Ghana's second goal. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

26 Sheyi Adebayor comes close to scoring but his strike too feeble to cause any havoc.

23 Abdul Majeed Waris puts Ghana up with a delightful header from close range. What a cross it was from Wakasu. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

20 Sheyi Adebayor has been eclipsed upfront so he falls deep into midfield for supplies.

16 Ghana win another corner which is taken and wasted. Its Ghana dictating the pace. They look a compact side and very aggressive but have lacked ideas upfront.

10 Ghana on rampage and it looks like it is only a matter of time for the host to open the account.

8 John Boye comes close to scoring but his header from a corner goes wide.

6 The Stars again on another incursion this time initiated by Baba Rahman on the left. He finds Jordan Ayew who lays one for Agyemang Badu but the strike goes wayward.

3 Dede Ayew makes a rampaging run upfield down the right flank and manages to get to the edge of the 18 yard box but his final cross goes too close and Kossi Agassa comes in with a bold save.

1600 Togo set the game underway.

1557 Together the players of both teams hoist a banner saying together we can beat Ebola.

The Black Stars are in a make-or-break tie with Togo in the final Group E AFCON qualifiers in Tamale Wednesday. Ghana need only a point to book a place in Equatorial Guinea 2015 but the guests need all maximum points.  Captain of the Hawks Sheyi Adebayor has promised to make life difficult for the Stars in Tamale and with a depleted Ghana side which has no Dede Ayew, Kwadwo Asamoah and Asamoah Gyan, the hawks may just be favorites away from home. Agyemang Badu leads the team in the absence of Gyan and Dede Ayew. Myjoyonline.com will give you live update of the match in Tamale.