Guinea win draw of lots
Guinea midfielder Boubacar Fofana (right) vies with Mali midfielder Yacouba Sylla in their 1-1 draw on Wednesday night
What you need to know:
This time, Ivory Coast finished top of Group D in Equatorial Guinea after beating Cameroon 1-0 - the only match in the group not to finish in a 1-1 draw.
MALABO- Guinea have reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at the expense of Mali after the drawing of lots.
Michel Dussuyer’s side will face Ghana on Sunday following the draw at a Malabo hotel.
Ghana and Mali had finished level in Group D after they both drew all three of their matches 1-1.
It is the first time lots have decided a team’s qualification in the tournament since 1988, when Algeria profited at Ivory Coast’s expense.
This time, Ivory Coast finished top of Group D in Equatorial Guinea after beating Cameroon 1-0 - the only match in the group not to finish in a 1-1 draw.
One representative each from Guinea and Mali took part in Thursday’s draw, which involved both selecting a ball from a bowl.
Mali’s football association president Boubacar Diarra went first and pulled out the ball that placed them third in the group.
Amara Dabo, financial director of the Guinea sports ministry, then drew the ball that confirmed his side in second place. Guinea coach Dussuyer and Mali boss Henri Kasperczak had both said before Thursday’s draw that lots were an unfair way of deciding who went through.
“Mali do not deserve to be eliminated in this way, just as we do not,” Dussuyer said.
