Black Stars in last eight

• World Cup-bound Ghana and Desert Foxes join Cote d’Ivoire in quarters

LUANDA

Ghana on Tuesday beat Burkina Faso 1-0 to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

Dede Ayew, whose father Abedi Pele was the pivotal figure when Ghana last won the trophy in 1982, headed the only goal on the half-hour.

Burkina Faso, who needed a draw to qualify, were eliminated. They had 10 men for the last 25 minutes after having a player sent off.

Ghana now play hosts Angola in the quarter-finals in Luanda on Sunday.

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane meanwhile angrily denied media suggestions that Monday’s 0-0 draw with hosts Angola was contrived to ensure both countries qualified for the quarter-finals.

Also yesterday, Mali lodged an official complaint to the Confederation of African Football over the draw.

The result meant Angola finished top of Group A on five points, one ahead of Algeria and Mali, one ahead of Algeria and Mali, and Algeria also went through in second place.

Mali, who beat Malawi 3-1 in Cabinda on Monday, were eliminated despite ending on the same points (four) as Algeria and with a better goal difference.

World Cup-bound Algeria qualified by virtue of their 1-0 win over Mali in Luanda last week. They had a better head-to-head record against Mali although they had a worse goal difference (-2 against +1).

Lodged complaint

“I can tell you Mali have lodged a complaint to Caf regarding the match between Angola and Algeria,” Mali official Alassane Souleymane told Reuters on Tuesday.

Caf were not available for comment.

“There was no agreement with Angola,” Saadane told a news conference in Luanda. “We would not accept any arranged match. “Algeria suffered this indignity at the World Cup in 1982 when Germany and Austria played an arranged match to eliminate us. I have to emphasise the result was not arranged.

“Both teams were playing at the end not to risk anything. It was a tactical game.”

Angola coach Manuel Jose acknowledged there was little for the 50,000-strong crowd to enthuse about.

“It wasn’t a great spectacle but we fulfilled our objective,” said Jose.

Algeria had the better of the exchanges and created goal chances in each half while Angola’s only opportunity came in the eighth minute when Djalma cut inside the defence but failed to score.

The dearth of goalmouth action in Luanda contrasted with two quick goals in Cabinda where Mali scored through Frederic Kanoute in the first minute, Seydou Keita two minutes later and Mamadou Bagayoko five minutes from time. (Reuters)