MALABO (Equatorial Guinea): Guinea will play in the African Nations Cup quarter-finals after qualifying instead of Mali by the drawing of lots at a ceremony on Thursday.

The No 2, printed on a piece of paper and stuffed inside a green ball, was drawn out of a bowl by a team representative at a hotel in Malabo. The representative from Mali drew the No 3.

Lots were drawn to determine second place in Group ‘D’ after both countries finished level after their three opening round matches. The Ivory Coast won the group by beating Cameroon 1-0 on Wednesday.

Three successive 1-1 draws for both teams meant they could not be separated by points, their head-to-head result, goal difference or goals scored.

Guinea will go through to a quarter-final on Sunday in Malabo against Group ‘C’ winners Ghana while Mali go home.

“Unfortunately we have to split up two teams that are even, perfectly joined, but we had no other choice but to proceed to the drawing of lots,” said CAF president Issa Hayatou at the draw.

It was only the third time in African Nations Cup history that a draw had to be conducted to separate two teams after the group phase. Previous drawing of lots in 1972 and 1988 favoured Congo and Algeria.

Mali and Guinea were locked behind the Ivorians with identical records after their 1-1 draw in Mongomo on Wednesday.

Kevin Constant put Guinea ahead from an early penalty and Modibo Maiga equalised for Mali after Seydou Keita missed a penalty for the Eagles.

“It’s hard for each team because no one deserves to go out of the tournament like that,” Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer told reporters after the match.

“Neither of us lost, we did very well in this tournament but this is now a reality we have to face. It will be disappointing to lose out like that.”

Mali’s Polish coach Henryk Kasperczak said: “You have to respect the rules, we have no choice. But it doesn’t work well. They [CAF] need to look at it again. We must find a more sporting, fairer way.”

There had been a possibility that all four teams would be in the draw, but Ivory Coast managed to hold on for victory in Malabo — the only result in the group that did not finish 1-1.

Max Gradel’s first-half goal means the Ivorians will take on Algeria in the last eight in Malabo on Sunday.

The St Etienne winger collected a pass from Siaka Tiene that went through the legs of Cameroon forward Edgar Salli and ran towards the middle of the field before unleashing a hard shot that flew past a diving Fabrice Ondoa 10 minutes before the break.

Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard, who has worked with several teams around the continent, coached in Algeria a few years ago, so his next opponent is no stranger.

The first two quarter-finals will be played on Saturday, with Congo Brazzaville meeting DR Congo and hosts Equatorial Guinea facing Tunisia, both in Bata.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2015

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