Substitute striker Hameur Bouzza scored in extra time as Algeria
beat fellow World Cup qualifier Ivory Coast 3-2 on Monday to
advance to the semifinals of the African Cup of Nations.
Ghana also reached the semis with a 1-0 win over host Angola.
Algeria will next play either Cameroon or Egypt on Monday,
while Ghana faces the winner of the Nigeria-Zambia quarterfinal.
Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou put Ivory Coast in front four
minutes into the game, before Karim Matmour equalized for Algeria
in the 38th with a shot from the edge of the area.
"Many people wrote our chances off," said Rangers defender
Madjid Bougherra, who was also on target for Algeria. "This victory
is for the people of Algeria all over the world."
Ivory Coast reclaimed the lead off substitute Kader Keita's
long range effort in the 89th, but Bougherra leveled the scores a
minute later with a header.
"We didn't play well," Ivory Coast coach Vahid Halilhodzic
said. "Some players were tired, I don't know why."
Earlier Monday, Luanda's 50 000-capacity city stadium was
thronging with a capacity crowd cheering vociferously for the home
team.
But Asamoah Gyan's diagonal shot from 15 meters (yards) gave
goalkeeper Carlos no chance and left the home crowd stunned.
Angola had its chances to level - most of them via Manucho.
He came close in the 30th off a diving header, which Ghana
goalkeeper Richard Kingson scooped away.
Flavio presented Manucho with a tap-in opportunity in the
44th but the Real Valladolid forward fired his shot over from a
close range.
In the second half, substitute Job raced down the right flank
in a full sprint, dribbling past a defender before bending a
curling cross into the area, but Manucho headed wide in the 72nd.
During a late Angola rally, substitute Ze Kalanga flighted a
cross into the Ghana area from the right, but Manucho and captain
Kali both failed to convert.
"We didn't take our chances," Angola coach Manuel Jose said.
"I am proud of this team. We played very well and we will recover."
Playing without the midfield leadership of Michael Essien and
Steven Appiah due to injuries, Ghana's youthful side could have
scored more, especially on the counterattack.
Substitute Mathew Amoah wasted a chance off a set piece in
84th.
"We were lucky to score an early goal," Ghana coach Milovan
Rajevic said. "We had more chances. This is a good result because
it was a difficult game."
An onslaught of injuries meant Ghana regulars John Mensah of
Sunderland, Fulham's John Paintsil and Hearts' Laryea Kingston
couldn't make the trip to Angola.
