15 February 2011
Tunisia scored late in each half to triumph 2-0 against Senegal Tuesday in a top-of-the-table African Nations Championship Group D clash and secure a quarter-finals place.
Angola also advanced to the knockout stage in Sudan by coming from behind against lowly Rwanda to win 2-1 and snatch second spot on the final standings after another dramatic day at a tournament for home-based footballers.
Tunisia collected seven points from three games, Angola five, Senegal four and Rwanda shared with Uganda and Ghana the humiliation of heading home having suffered three consecutive losses.
Defending champions and title favourites Democratic Republic of Congo await Tunisia in the quarter-finals Saturday while Angola face impressive Group C winners Cameroon earlier the same day.
Goal-shy Sudan tackle Niger and shock Group B table-toppers South Africa confront Algeria in the other fixtures one day earlier with the destiny of the trophy in the melting pot.
Tunisia and Senegal entered the final day of group action with four points each while Angola had two and Rwanda none and had the co-leaders drawn they would have progressed unless the Angolans went on an unlikely goal spree.
But Senegal fell behind in the final minute of the first half in Port Sudan on the east coast of the host country when Slama Gasdaoui notched his second goal of the championship.
A tense finish saw Senegalese hopes of equalising nosedive when Mame Thioune was red carded before Khaled Korbi put the result beyond doubt with a second goal two minutes from full-time.
It was the second consecutive victory for the Tunisians, whose preparations were disrupted by political unrest that led to long-time ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing the country to Saudi Arabia.
The Sami Trabelsi-coached team defeated Rwanda 3-1 last Friday after conceding a stoppage-time goal to draw 1-1 with Angola in their opening encounter.
After draws with Tunisia and Senegal, Angola had to overcome Rwanda but fell behind 18 minutes into the opening half when Jean-Baptiste Mugiraneza was on target in Omdurman, across the river Nile from Sudanese capital Khartoum.
Arsenio ‘Love’ Cabungula steadied Angolan nerves with a 31st-minute equaliser and Carvalho Osorio scored what proved to be the winning goal 12 minutes into the second half.
2010 AFP
