Burkina Faso through after Ethiopia draw

Burkina Faso secured second spot in Group A at the Africa Cup of Nations with a 1-1 draw against Ethiopia.

Ethiopia captain Getaneh Kebede equalised from the penalty spot seven minutes after half-time after Steeve Yago was penalised for handball.

Burkina Faso will face the runners-up from Group C – either Morocco, Gabon or Ghana – in the last 16 on Sunday.

The Burkinabe and Cape Verde both finished on four points in Group A, but the Stallions took second place on head-to-head record.

Cameroon topped the group on seven points after a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde, with Ethiopia bottom on one.

Ethiopia fail to find winner

Ethiopia needed to win in Bafoussam to have a chance of progressing and the East Africans had the better of the game, with Burkina Faso lacking fluency in attack despite the return of captain Bertrand Traore from Covid-19.

Stand-in Stallions keeper Farid Ouedraogo, starting after first-choice Herve Koffi tested positive for coronavirus, made three good saves to keep Ethiopia at bay in the first half.

The domestic-based back-up dived to his right to keep out a strong effort from Kebede and later gathered Dawa Hotessa’s low shot at the second attempt with the game still goalless.

Hassane Bande had missed a glorious chance to put Burkina Faso ahead, failing to connect properly at close range, but the West Africans broke the deadlock when Adama Guira sent a ball over the top of the Ethiopia defence and Bayala converted from the edge of the area with Shanko stranded.

Ouedraogo stuck out his right foot to divert a low shot from Kebede behind 10 minutes before the break but he could not get near the striker’s composed penalty, awarded following a video assistant referee review after Yago handled Surafel Dagnachew’s free-kick at the near post.

Ethiopia probed in search of an equaliser yet could not find the goal which may have given them the opportunity to go through as one of four third-ranked sides.