Eboue on mark as Elephants tame Angola

Angola 0 Ivory Coast 2

Angola needed just a point to qualify for the quarter-finals. But group rivals Sudan stunned Burkina Faso 2-1 to advance into the last eight on goal difference.

Ivory Coast, who had already qualified for a quarter-final meeting with co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, played a shadow team, with Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou and Gervinho all rested.

Yet the Elephants took a deserved lead on 33 minutes. Miguel somehow failed to clear Wilfried’s low cross, which a sliding Eboue knocked in at the far post.

Then, 19 minutes into the second half, a lofted pass by Abdul Kader Keita caught defence and keeper napping and Wilfried was on hand to tap into an empty net.

Sudan 2 Burkina Faso 1

Eltaib Mudather’s brace saw Sudan complete the turnaround they required in African Nations Cup group B and reach the knockout stages.

The striker scored once in each half and Angola’s 2-0 defeat by the Ivory Coast ensured that Sudan progressed to the last eight in second place behind the Elephants.

Sudan went into the game needing to win and hope Angola lost — with at least a three-goal swing — if they were to qualify.

But they lost Najem Abdullah to a serious injury in the early stages after a collision with Akram El Hadi as the goalkeeper dived to save at the feet of dangerman Jonathan Pitroipa.

Omar Moseab took Najem’s place.

The 33rd minute brought double delight for the ‘Falcons of Jediane’. Mudather ran onto Ahmed Bashir’s fine first-time pass and evaded a dreadful two-footed challenge from Hamadou Tall before finishing calmly to give his side the lead at the Estadio de Bata.

With 10 minutes left, Mudather did make it 2-0 via route one, racing onto Akram’s long clearance and rounding Diakite to tap home.

Ouedraogo grabbed a consolation goal, heading home Pitroipa’s long ball deep into stoppage time, but it was not enough to deny Sudan their qualification.

* Today Group C will be decided. Gabon face Tunisia, while Niger face Morocco. Both games kick off at 6pm.