Ghana 2-2 Benin: 3 reasons why Ghana drew the game | Africa Cup of Nations 2019

#2 Numerical disadvantage

Ghana's Dede Ayew protests after John Boye is sent off

The Black Stars of Ghana were in the lead just after half time, then disaster struck, as John Boye was sent off for time wasting. He received a second yellow card from the Tunisian referee for needless time wasting, to the consternation of his teammates, and perhaps that turned the tide in favour of the Squirrels of Benin.

The Black Stars were clearly in the ascendancy, with two well-taken strikes from the Ayew brothers putting them in the lead going into half time.

What prompted John Boye to dilly dally with the ball isn't clear, as the final whistle was still a long while away. Whether you put the card down to silly behaviour on the past of John Boye or simply high handedness on the part of the referee, the Black Stars clearly missed their 11th man and were made to pay dearly in the end.

On the biggest stages, the little things matter, as just a slight tilt could make the pendulum swing either way.