Africa Cup of Nations: Ivorians send Angolans packing

Emmanuel Eboue and Bony Wilfried scored the goals which saw Ivory Coast go through to a quarter-final meeting

Emmanuel Eboue (right) opens the scoring after Miguel fumbles his clearance

with African Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea after winning Group B.

The 2-0 win also saw losers Angola go out of the competition as they finished with a worse goal difference than Sudan, who were 2-1 winners over Burkina Faso.

Max Gradel had the first effort for Ivory Coast after five minutes but shot straight at goalkeeper Alegre Wilson.

Angola gifted an Ivorian reserve side the lead as Emmanuel Eboue pounced from close range after 33 minutes.

After qualifying for the last eight with a game to spare, Elephants coach Francois Zahoui rested nine players as only centre-backs Kolo Toure and Sol Bamba survived from the 2-0 win over the Burkinabe.

In their place came Russia-based Seydou Doumbia, Bony and Eboue among others, for a match where Angola’s Palancas Negras needed to avoid defeat to be sure of reaching their straight quarter-finals.

After Bony tested goalkeeper Wilson, playing in place of the suspended Carlos, with a well-hit drive after 14 minutes, the impressive striker created the opening goal just after the half hour.

Driving into the box with pace, power and purpose, the Holland-based forward clipped in a cross which Miguel could only fumble into the path of Eboue, who had the easiest of chances from two yards out.

Manucho was doing most of the attacking for Angola but saw Sol Bamba beat him to a loose ball as he threatened.

Wilfried then cut in from the left but Wilson turned his shot round the post, before Angola captain Andre Macanga sliced a shot badly wide during a rare attack.

On the half hour Wilfried burst into the area and hit the ball low across goal. Miguel could only hold up the ball as he tried to clear and Eboue was on hand to open the scoring.

Bamba got up well to head clear a free-kick early in the second half and then his keeper Daniel Yeboah was lucky to see his clearance rebound off the charging Manucho and go out for a goal kick.

Ivory Coast extended their lead when Abdulkader Keita played a ball behind the Angola defence and when Alex Massunguna headed it past his own keeper Wilfried ran through to tap into an empty net.

Bamba could have made it three when heading wide as the Ivorians won their third group game to ensure their bid for a first Nations Cup title since 1992 stays firmly on track.

Ivory Coast ensured they finished Group B with a perfect record as they beat a disjointed Angola 2-0 in Malabo.

The Angolans’ first group defeat means they miss the quarter-finals after Sudan beat Burkina Faso 2-1 in Bata.

Ivory Coast will play Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals, while Sudan will face Zambia in Bata on 4 February.