Accusations of gamesmanship and just how tolerant referees can be towards a litany of late injuries in the game is now under stark spotlight at the African Nations Cup after Sunday's win for Angola over Burkina Faso.

The 2-1 triumph in Malabo came with a dollop of good fortune and accusations that the Angolans played "anti-football".

They were made by a furious Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte, who claimed the referee had allowed the Angolans to deliberately feign injury and play act to waste away time in a bid to secure victory.

"After the second goal, Angola played anti-football which the referee permitted. Obviously teams want to win and will do all they can, but it was ridiculous. They kept going down and wasting time and the referee did nothing," asserted Duarte.

But while his complaints might have merit, they come from a coach ironically accused of unsportsmanlike behaviour himself in trying to reinforce his Burkina Faso team over the last two years with 'mercenary players' from other counties.

Burkina Faso's defeat was more as a result of the defensive slips they made to allow Angola two second half goals after a first 45 minutes of some tedium.

The first came when Paul Koulibaly failed to clear, trying instead to dribble his way out of trouble but only succeeding in giving the ball to Mateus, who swept inside and struck the ball firmly into the far corner.

Former Manchester United striker Manucho scored the winner after snatching the ball away from an errant defence and blasting home from the edge of the penalty box.

"Their goals both came from schoolboy mistakes in our defence and we paid for them," said Duarte.

Burkina Faso did have chances to equalise and indeed, on the balance of play, certainly merited a share of the spoils, if not a win.

But it was a game where the pace was at times too frenetic and the final passes of a poor quality.

Neither side had a player able to impose himself on the game and they were probably too evenly matched.

Angola are top of their group along with Cote d'Ivoire, for whom Didier Drogba again delivered with his 51st international goal in a 1-0 win over Sudan.

Burkina Faso's ambitions are now in some peril, as they would in all likelihood need to beat both the Ivorians and Sudan to advance.