Striker Christine Sinclair scored twice as Canada eliminated Ghana from the women's World Cup with a 4-0 victory yesterday.
Canada and Ghana both needed to win the Group C game after losing their first matches against Norway and Australia respectively.
Sinclair, 24, the captain, scored the first goal of the game with a superb header in the 16th minute as both sides battled for the upper hand.
PHOTO: AP
Ghana were unlucky not to go in at the break level at 1-1 when a Ghanaian attack ended with the ball crashing off Canada's cross bar after 45 minutes.
Captain Adjoa Bayor fired in a cross from the right and it was unclear whether Ghana's teenage striker Anitya Amankwa got a foot to it or whether it was a defender who sent the ball onto the bar.
Canada, who lost 2-1 to Norway in their opening game after running out of steam in the second half, were determined not to meet the same fate against Ghana, the lowest ranked team in the tournament.
After the break they tightened control of the game and midfielder Sophie Schmidt widened their lead after 55 minutes when she headed past keeper Memunata Sulemana from a miscued clearance.
Sinclair blasted home her second in the 62nd minute after Kara Lang rounded the defense and left her with an easy volley.
Poor goalkeeping by Sulemana gifted Martina Franko with Canada's fourth when she failed to collect a corner and Franko headed in the loose ball from close range.
The win gives Canada, who reached the last four of the 2003 World Cup, their first points and keeps them in contention for the next round.
Yesterday's other World Cup results: Australia 1, Norway 1 and Brazil 4, China 0.
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