A 2-1 victory over Group D's bottom side Botswana was enough to see Mali progress to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mali looked like they were on their way out of the tournament when Mogakolodi Ngele gave Botswana the lead just after half-time, but Garra Dembele and Seydou Keita scored vital goals to put their team into the quarter-finals.

Botswana had a string of chances before the break. Ngele blasted a left-footed shot over from the edge of the area when he should have tested goalkeeper Oumar Sissoko, before a Tshepo Motlhambankwe snapshot from a poorly cleared corner went narrowly over the bar.

Shortly after the break, they finally made the breakthrough. Moemedi Moatlhaping played the ball across the face of goal and Ngele made a late run into the penalty are to send his nation in front with a slick left-footed finish into the corner.

Going behind only served to spring Mali into life, and just six minutes later Dembele pounced on Modiri Marumo's save from Bayake Traore to get his side back on level terms.

From that point on it was all Mali, and on 75 minutes Keita played a clever one-two with Cheick Diabete before curling a left-footed strike beyond Marumo to send his nation into the last eight.

Keita's goal also signalled the end of Guinea's campaign in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, as their 1-1 draw with Group D winners Ghana was not enough to send them through to the knockout stages.

Ghana scored first, against the run of play, through a stunning Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu shot, before Abdoul Camara equalised on the stroke of half-time.

Agyemang-Badu lodged his contended for goal of the tournament on 28 minutes, flicking the ball up to himself and powering it home from distance past Naby-Moussa Yattara in the Guinean goal.

Guinea were level just before the break though when Abdoul Camara surged down the left beating John Pantsil for speed and crossed into the box, only to beat goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, who had come off his line.

The complexion of the game changed on 70mins when Guinea's Mamadou Bah was sent off for a second yellow card offence following his tackle on Pantsil.

Although they needed a goal to stay alive in the tournament, the numerical advantage allowed Ghana to control play in the closing stages as the match petered out to a draw.

Ghana finished top of the group with seven points and will now play Tunisia in the last eight, while second placed Mali (6pts) will face co-hosts Gabon.