Ghana win, S.Africa qualify, Togo and Nigeria argue

By Brian Homewood

ACCRA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - South Africa became the first team to reach the quarter-finals, Ghana moved a big step closer while Nigeria and Togo argued among themselves at the African Nations Cup on Thursday.

Shaun Bartlett's third goal in two games gave the Bafana Bafana a 1-0 win over Democratic Republic of Congo to send them into the last eight with a game to spare in group B.

Ghana overcame smaller neighbours Togo 2-0 with first half goals by Kwame Ayew and Otto Addo to go top of group A. Two other countries threatened to shoot themselves in their collective feet, an old problem among African teams. Nigeria coach Jo Bonfrere said his players, already angry over unpaid bonuses, risked being kicked out of their hotel over unpaid bills and suggested they might have to sleep on the team bus.

In Accra, officials blamed a bout of malaria on Togo coach Gottlieb Goeller's absence from the bench against Ghana but other evidence suggested he had stormed out after yet another row over organisation.

Bonfrere said his players had been locked out of their hotel rooms on Wednesday because bills had not been settled by the organisers. "Maybe we'll sleep in the team bus," said the Dutchman, whose team face a tough match with Congo in Lagos on Friday in group D.

The coach and his captain Sunday Oliseh also complained that the players had not been paid bonuses for the 4-2 win over Tunisia.

Tournament organisers insisted that part of the hotel bill had been paid and Nigeria would not be troubled by hotel management again. A Nigerian official said players bonuses would be paid "when the time is right."

Meanwhile, receptionists at Togo's hotel said that Goeller, who publicly cricised Togolese officials as being "useless" on Wednesday and accused them of treating the players as their slaves, had checked out looking fit and well shortly after his team had left to play Ghana.

LOOKED FURIOUS They said the German coach looked furious, rather than ill with malaria, as he hailed a taxi and headed for an unknown destination.

Without Goeller, who has been in charge on all four occasions that the tiny West African country has qualified for the finals, Togo crashed 2-0 to a team against whom they had produced the biggest upset of the previous cup two years ago. On that occasion, Togo's last-gasp 2-1 win led to four-times champions Ghana going out at the group stage.

This time, the Black Stars made no mistake. Sporting Lisbon striker Ayew, younger brother of former captain Abedi Pele, opened the scoring in the 28th minute when his low, powerful shot was fumbled by goalkeeper Kossi Agassa, and Borussia Dortmund's Addo scored another nine minutes later. Ghana, who have four points from two games in group one, had Eben Dugbarty's sent off in the second half for kicking an opponent, the first red card of the tournament. Togo have one point from two games while Cameroon and Ivory Coast, who meet on Friday in Accra, both have one point from one game.

FC Zurich striker Bartlett scored in first half injury time in the Ghanaian city of Kumasi as South Africa repeated their semifinal victory over Democratic Republic of Congo two years ago.

The Simbas nearly equalised in the second half, but Watford striker Felix-Michel Ngonge saw his shot deflected wide by Oxford United's Andre Arendse.

The Bafana Bafana have a maximum six points from two games and Congo one. Algeria, who have one point from one match, meet bottom-placed Gabon, who have no points, on Saturday.