African Cup of Nations review:A dream start for Mali gave them a first win in this year's African Cup of Nations, but Angola's goalless draw with Algeria meant both they and Malawi missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.
Frederic Kanoute scored after just a minute thanks to a goalkeeping blunder from Swadick Sanudi and Seydou Keita added a second with a thumping free-kick two minutes later.
Russel Mwafulirwa pulled one back for Malawi after 58 minutes, but he will go to bed tonight ruing a missed header after 71 minutes which could have put his side through.
Instead, Mamadou Bagayoko added another for Mali with four minutes to play, but the result was of no use to either side.
Angola and Algeria both advanced to the quarter-finals with a goalless draw in Luanda.
The hosts went into the match top of the pool and knowing a draw would be enough to guarantee their progress.
But their approach was certainly not one of containment as Gilberto and Jose Alberto both tried their luck from long range in the early stages.
Algeria should have been ahead midway through the half, though, after Nadir Belhadj’s free-kick caught out the Angola defence.
Hassan Yebda failed to make contact with an overhead kick but the ball fell to Madjid Bougherra five yards out. However, he could not beat goalkeeper Carlos.
Gilberto fired a free-kick over the bar and, at the other end, Abdelkader Ghezzal beat Carlos to the ball but his touch was too heavy and he could not take advantage.
In the 26th minute, a superb free-kick from Ze Kalanga was heading for the top corner only for Faouzi Chaouchi to pull off an equally brilliant save.
The Algeria stopper should have been given no chance two minutes from the break when Kalanga picked out Djalma in the area but he did not strike his shot cleanly and Chaouchi saved with his legs.
The Desert Hawks began the second half on the offensive and Karim Matmour just failed to get a touch on Hameur Bouazza’s wicked low cross.
Bouazza then poked wide from a tight angle on the hour mark but, with both sides looking set to book their spots in the last eight, the pace dropped markedly.
The only moment of concern for Algeria came with four minutes remaining when Jamuana’s free-kick almost squirmed under Chaouchi.
Angola topped the group thanks to their victory over Malawi and two draws while Algeria finished level on four points with Mali but progress courtesy of their 1-0 victory over their rivals — the only match in which they have found the net.
