( CNN ) There was nothing to separate Guinea and Mali after the group stage at the African Cup of Nations so lots had to be drawn to decide which team would progress to the quarterfinals . On this occasion , luck favored Guinea , one of the nations in west Africa ravaged by the Ebola virus . It was a rare -- the last time lots were drawn at the continental tournament was in 1988 -- and unfair way to settle second place in Group D according to both managers but ultimately it 's Guinea boss Michel Dussuyer and his team that will face Ghana on Sunday in Malabo , Equatorial Guinea . Two balls , numbered ' 2 ' for second place and ' 3 ' for third place , were placed in a bowl and the rest was left to chance Thursday . `` Amara Dabo , from the Finance Division of the Guinea Ministry of Sports picked the ball numbered ' 2 ' and Boubacar Diarra , president of the Mali Football Federation was the loser after picking out ball number ' 3 , ' '' Africa 's governing body said on its website . The outcome left Diarra in tears and former Mali international Frederic Kanoute tweeted his displeasure about the method used to separate the sides . Guinea last beat Ghana in 1977 , a year after registering its best showing at the African Cup of Nations by making the final . In the three other quarterfinals : Ivory Coast faces Algeria , Tunisia plays host Equatorial Guinea and Congo meets DR Congo .
Guinea benefits from the luck of the 'draw ' at AFCON . Guinea , not Mali , makes the last eight after lots drawn . They could n't be separated on head to head , goals scored and goal difference . Guinea faces Ghana on Sunday .