It was two nervous Guinea and Mali officials who took to the stage in Malabo on Thursday for the drawing of lots Thursday.

Guinea have reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals at the expense of Mali after the drawing of lots.

Cameroon coach Volker Finke praised his players for giving their best to try and turn the game around but could not hide his disappointment as the four-time champions finished bottom of the group.

Lots will be drawn to separate Mali and Guinea after they ended dead level in African Nations Cup Group D on Wednesday

Max Gradel finally broke the string of draws in Group D and sent the Ivory Coast into the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations with the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Cameroon on Wednesday.

The last quarterfinal places at the African Nations Cup will be decided on Wednesday but there is nothing to choose between the four protagonists in Group D who conclude the first round of the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

Getting Yaya Toure to reproduce his club form at international level is a near impossible task, Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard admitted on Tuesday.

Cameroon's midfielder Enoh Eyong has been declared unfit for Wednesday's Nations Cup clash against Ivory Coast due to a persisting muscle injury.

Ivory Coast will be hoping history does not repeat itself and they are eliminated from the African Nations Cup finals by the drawing of lots as was the case 27 years ago.

Cameroon and Guinea both failed to grab the initiative in Africa Cup of Nations Group D as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Malabo.

Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard appeared to hit out at the referee after his side's 1-1 draw against Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

Max Gradel levelled late on as Ivory Coast snatched a 1-1 draw with Mali in Group D of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.