Home hopes crumbled for Gabon in the lottery of a penalty shootout at the African Nations Cup Sunday but Ghana's hopeful search to end a long drought at the finals continued. Mali beat co-host Gabon 5-4 on post-match kicks after extra time in Libreville to douse the passion of an expectant populace in first of the day's quarterfinal encounters. The match ended 1-1 as Mali equalized just six minutes from the end. Ghana, seeking its first Nations Cup title in 30 years, won the later game in the provincial town of Franceville, beating Tunisia 2-1 after extra time courtesy of a goalkeeping howler. An embarrassing mistake by Aymen Mathlouthi left him devastated at the end of a tempestuous encounter but his grief was nothing like that of Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The French-born striker, whose Mohican haircut, devastating pace and goal-scoring acumen has turned him into a national hero, was the only player to fail to convert in the penalty shootout that followed the draw in Libreville. Aubameyang, whose goals had fired Gabon into the knockout stages, had a meek effort in the shootout saved by Mali's Soumailia Diakite and left the field disconsolate, weeping on the shoulder of his father who was Gabon captain in the 1990s. Mali will meet the Ivory Coast in Libreville while Ghana goes to Bata in co-host country Equatorial Guinea to meet Zambia. Tunisia left a bitter taste as it appeared to lose its heads in the closing stages. Aymen Abdennour was red-carded for an elbow on an opponent in extra time but several other vicious tackles went unpunished. Ghana had found itself in a difficult battle with a quick paced Tunisia side who came back after conceding an early goal to defender John Mensah. Saber Khlifa equalized in the 42nd minute but the North Africans tournament ended when Mathlouthi dropped an innocuous cross in extra time right at the feet of Dede Ayew, who needed no invitation to grab Ghana's second.
