Guinea had the luck of the draw to win a berth in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations and will now meet Ghana in Malabo on Sunday.

Unlucky Mali will head home. The draw, made at the Hilton Hotel in Malabo, was needed to separate the two sides, which finished with an even record in Group D.

Three successive 1-1 draws for both Guinea and Mali meant they could not be separated by points, their head-to-head result, goal difference or goals scored.

"The Gods of football fortune smiled on us. It has been a long road up to now," said Amara Dabo, financial director of the Guinea Sports Ministry and a participant in the draw, in an interview with Reuters.

A representative from both countries drew a ball each from the bowl, with Mali football association president Boubacar Diarra first lifting the ball that placed them third in the group and out of the running.

Dabo then drew the ball that confirmed his side in second place in the standings behind group winners Cote d'Ivoire.

"Unfortunately we have to split up two teams that are even, perfectly joined but we had no other choice but to proceed to the drawing of lots," said CAF president Issa Hayatou at the draw.

It was only the third time in African Nations Cup history that a draw had to be conducted to separate two teams after the group phase. The previous drawing of lots in 1972 and 1988 favoured Congo and Algeria.

The other quarter-final sees DR Congo and Congo-Brazzaville clash in a derby in Bata on Saturday, after which Tunisia take on hosts Equatorial Guinea at the same venue.

Ghana-Guinea is the first Last 8 match on Sunday in Malabo, followed by Cote d'Ivoire against Algeria.