The Ivory Coast were already assured of their place in the last eight as group winners, but Guinea and Mali faced a nervous wait after ending the first round with identical records.
A victory for either in the last round of group fixtures would have been enough to seal qualification, but Modibo Maiga’s 47th minute equaliser earned Mali a 1-1 draw after Kevin Constant had given Guinea an early lead.
Maiga’s goal was ultimately in vain, however, with Guinea being picked at random to go through on Thursday.
Guinea have not qualified for the quarter-finals since 2008 and have not progressed beyond the last eight since 1976.
Their knockout fixture against Ghana will take place in Malabo on Sunday.
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