African Nations Cup quarter-finals: Tunisia and DR Congo through as rain hits rivals

Ahmed Akaichi (L) of Tunisia fights for the ball with Democratic Republic of Congo's Cedric Mongongu during their Group B soccer match at the African Cup of Nations in Bata January 26, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EQUATORIAL GUINEA - Tags: SPORT SOCCER)

Tunisia and Democratic Republic of Congo reached the African Nations Cup quarter-finals on Monday after they played out a 1-1 draw and Group B rivals Cape Verde and Zambia drew a blank in treacherous conditions.

Cape Verde finished with the same three points and the same goal difference as DR Congo but scored one goal less and were therefore eliminated by the slimmest of margins.

The 1-1 draw for DR Congo against Tunisia in Bata means the former advance to meet near namesakes Congo on Jan. 31 without winning a game. Group winners Tunisia will face hosts Equatorial Guinea.

Zambia, who were the 2012 winners, finished last in Group B with two points and are eliminated early for a second successive tournament. They had needed a win to stand any chance of progress.

The match in Ebibeyin was played in a tropical downpour that made the game unplayable at times as giant puddles stopped the flow of the ball and risked injury to the players.

The teams were forced to keep the ball off the ground for much of the second half as the deluge fell increasingly harder but then suddenly abated with some 20 minutes left.

Both sides had few occasions to win the game, not even towards the end when they both sacrificed defenders to throw more players into attack.

Garry Rodrigues, making his first start at the tournament for Cape Verde, went narrowly wide with two efforts in the first half while Zambia's Evans Kangwa botched a shot from close in 12 minutes from the end.

There was also a half chance in stoppage time for Mukuka Mulenga of Zambia but he, too, was off target.

"I'm very sad and disappointed with the result but not with my players. They did all they could," a tearful Cape Verde coach Rui Aguas told reporters. "We missed a lot of chances in three games but we gave 100 percent, we gave our all."