Former champs crash out as Afcon qualification ends

Nigeria, like South Africa, will miss out on next year's Nations Cup - albeit not as controversially as Bafana did.

Ibrahima Diallo's late equaliser in Abuja enabled Guinea to rally for a 2-2 draw against the home team and finish top of Group B, relegating the Super Eagles to runners-up.

South Africa and Nigeria joined an impressive list of absentees that includes former champions Egypt and Cameroon. Tunisia are the only one of the last nine African champions to reach next year's continental championship.

In a dramatic - and, in South Africa's case, farcical - penultimate day of qualifying for the Nations Cup, Mali, Guinea, Zambia, Niger, Ghana and Angola went through as group winners and Libya clinched one of the two spots for the best second-placed teams.

Those countries joined co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and already-qualified Botswana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Burkina Faso at the 16-team tournament.

Four-times African champions Ghana beat Sudan 2-0 in Khartoum with goals from Asamoah Gyan and John Mensah inside 17 minutes to seal their position as Group I winners despite defender Isaac Vorsah's red card.

Tunisia beat Togo 2-0 but only squeezed through after Malawi conceded a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Chad in Group K. Tunisia took one of two automatic spots in the five-team group with Botswana taking the other.

Libya shook off the distractions of their domestic problems which forced them to play "home" games away by qualifying through a 0-0 draw in Zambia.

The Libyans wore new strips to reflect the change of leadership in their country and sang their new anthem under a new flag before qualifying out of Group C.

Mali were held to a 2-2 draw in Liberia but also sneaked through despite pressure from tiny Cape Verde, who beat Zimbabwe 2-1. Mali and Cape Verde finished on 10 points but the Malians qualified because of their better record against the unheralded nation, which was were chasing its first Nations Cup appearance.

Angola won 2-0 in Guinea-Bissau to edge out Uganda after they lost their Group J lead with a 0-0 draw at home to Kenya. Uganda had needed to match Angola's result to reach their first Nations Cup since 1978.

Who's through to the Nations Cup:

Qualifiers for the 2012 Nations Cup after Saturday's final round of qualifying matches:

Group A: Mali

Group B: Guinea

Group C: Zambia

Group D: Decided between Morocco, Central African Republic, Tanzania or Algeria late last night

Group E: Senegal

Group F: Burkina Faso

Group G: Niger

Group H: Ivory Coast

Group I: Ghana

Group J: Angola

Group K:Botswana and Tunisia (only group with two qualifiers)

Qualified as best runners-up so far: Libya (Group C). Sudan (Group I), Central African Republic or Morocco (both Group D) will join them, depending on the outcome of last night's games.

Co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea automatically qualify.

The Nations Cup will be staged in Franceville, Libreville, Bata and Malabo from January 21 to February 12.