( CNN ) Players from Tunisia and the Democratic Republic of Congo embraced each other in celebration as both sides played out a 1-1 draw to book their passage into the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations . In a tense finale to Group B , all four teams still had the chance to qualify for the last eight until the final whistle went in a goalless draw between Cape Verde and Zambia in torrid conditions . It sparked contrasting celebrations , the coaches and players in Bata celebrating in unison while there were tears in Ebebiyin as 2012 champions Zambia bowed out in the group stages for a second successive tournament . Tunisia coach Georges Leekens had called on his side , the 2004 AFCON champions , to go all out for the win despite only needing to draw the match to qualify . And the north African side in reality should have achieved that feat by half-time such was their ascendancy . It was Ahmed Akaichi who broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark , the striker for Esperance becoming only the second player to score two goals in this tournament after Congo 's Thievy Bifouma as he headed home a flick on by Yassine Chikhaoui . Chikhaoui thought he had enjoyed his own moment of glory with a superb volley only for it to be ruled offside , one of two disallowed goals for the Tunisians . For a time , DR Congo , tournament winners in 1968 and 1974 , looked devoid of a response until drawing level against the run of play in the 65th minute through substitute Jeremy Bokila . It was Bokila 's two goals that had helped seal his side 's route to the tournament against Ivory Coast and , just five minutes after coming on , he once again provided a telling difference . A long ball was headed into the box by Dieumerci Mbokani , Bokila controlled it with aplomb and guided the ball into the net with his left foot . It was all the more befitting as moments earlier Wahbi Khazri should have already put the game out of DR Congo 's reach . But DR Congo held firm for a record sixth straight draw in the tournament , the game ending slightly farcically in the final minute with neither side really playing as news of the result from Ebebiyin came in . That match was never going to be a classic , the two teams having scored just three times in 40 combined attempts in this tournament , and it was a cause not helped by a downpour that threatened to see the game abandoned altogether . If Zambia had hoped the players would be inspired to shine in the wake of a pre-match call from President Edgar Lungu , who won the election at the weekend , then they were to be sorely disappointed . Zambia 's Evans Kangwa had the chance to grab the win his side needed to qualify late on but made a hash of his effort while Cape Verde , level on three points with DR Congo , only missed out on the quarter-finals by virtue of goal difference .
Tunisia and DR Congo draw 1-1 to both reach the last eight of the Africa Cup of Nations . DR Congo sub Jeremy Bokila cancels out earlier strike by Tunisia 's Ahmed Akaichi . The two teams will meet in a playoff for third place on Saturday at Stade de France.