BATA, Equatorial Guinea, Jan 30, (AFP): Sudan consigned Burkina Faso to a 2-1 defeat here Monday to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at the expense of Angola. Mudather Eltaib scored either side of half time to bag the precious points which lifted the Sudanese level with Angola, their rivals for the runner-up spot in Group B, and crucially with a better goal difference. To add icing to the cake Sudan also celebrated winning their first Nations Cup match in over three decades. The game was played out in a near-funereal atmosphere, with almost more players than fans at Bata’s stadium, an embarrassment for organisers CAF and co-hosts Equatorial Guinea. Sudan made one change, injured defender Bala Jaber replaced by Ahmed Khalefa.

For Burkina Faso the hapless Bakary Kone, who scored an own goal against Ivory Coast, punched a rival player and was instrumental in an Angola goal in the 2-2 draw, was dropped. The Lyon defender was one of three switches, with Ibrahim Gnanou, Djakaridja Kone and Narcisse Yameogo getting their chance to shine for already eliminated Burkina Faso. The game was only seconds old when Sudan coach Mohammed ‘Mazda’ Abdullah was forced to make another change, when Nagm Eldin had to be stretchered off after a collision in the Sudan box. Musab Omar came on in his place.

Sudan took a 33rd minute lead largely against the run of play when Mudather did well to keep going after Hamadou Tall’s sliding tackle to shoot side-footed past the diving Daouda Diakite by the near post. Sudan required all three points here and Angola to get nothing from the simultaneous match against Ivory Coast in Malabo to stand any chance of qualifying. With the Ivorians having seconds earlier taken the lead it was game on for the side aiming to do better than their first round elimination in 2008 after a 32 year absence.

Sudan went off at the break level on points with Angola, but still needing to improve their goal difference to leapfrog the 2010 hosts and take the runner-up spot behind group winners Ivory Coast.
On 56 minutes, second half substitute Issiaka Ouedraogo had a decent chance to put Burkina Faso level but his shot went wide. With news filtering through from Malabo that Ivory Coast had gone 2-0 up that meant Sudan and not Angola would progress if things stayed the same for the remaining 25 minutes.
Burkina Faso though were looking dangerous, and they had a goal disallowed shortly after for offside.

But Sudan wrapped up what by all accounts had appeared an unlikely place in the knockout stages in the 80th minute when Mudather ran onto a high ball, beat the keeper, and slotted in to an empty goal. Ouedraogo’s stoppage time contribution was too little too late to ruin Sudan’s memorable night. Mazda’s men meet Zambia in the last eight in Bata on Saturday. If they believe in omens they will remember that the last time they made it into the last eight, in 1970, they went on to win the title. A virtual reserve Ivory Coast side cruised to a 2-0 win over Angola on Monday in a lacklustre Group B match at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Emmanuel Eboue and Wilfried Bony scored for the Elephants, who topped the final table with three wins while Angola lost out to Sudan on goal difference in the battle for second place. Co-title favourites Ivory Coast collected a maximum nine points wihout ever going into overdrive, Sudan and Angola secured four each and Burkina Faso came last after three consecutive losses. The Ivorians remain in this island city to tackle co-hosts Equatorial Guinea next Saturday while Sudan face Zambia earlier the same day in Bata in the first quarter-final. Coach Francois Zahoui had hinted that he would rest some of his first choices — but leaving nine on the bench came as a surprise with the only regulars in the starting line-up being centre-backs Kolo Toure and Souleymane Bamba.

Kolo Toure, older brother of 2011 African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure, captained the team in the absence of Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou was grateful for the rest after limping off against Burkina Faso last Friday. Angola made two changes from the team held by Sudan with goalkeeper Wilson replacing suspended Carlos, whose two yellow cards came for time wasting, and Dede coming in for off-form striker Flavio. The first half did little to excite another small crowd in the 15,000-seat Nuevo Estadio de Malabo apart from a goal on 33 minutes by former Arsenal defender Eboue.

After carelessly conceding possession in midfield, Angola were caught napping as a surging run from Bony took him into the penalty area and when Miguel failed to clear, Eboue tapped the ball in at the far post.
It was the first time in three outings that the Black Antelopes had fallen behind and with Sudan taking the lead in the same minute against Burkina Faso, the pressure was on the team from the south west of the continent. The Angolans fell further behind on 64 minutes when a long pass into opposition territory by substitute Abdul Kader Keita led to a mix-up between centre-back Massunguna and goalkeper Wilson, and a gift goal for Bony. Massunguna panicked under pressure and headed the ball back over his advancing goalkeeper, leaving Bony to run in unopposed and tap the ball over the line. Angola introduced Germany-born Nando Rafael as time ticked away and finally came alive with a header from former Manchester United striker Manucho forcing Daniel Yeboah into a good reflex save.