Tunisia and Democratic Republic of Congo reached the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations

Tunisia and Democratic Republic of Congo reached the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after they played out a 1-1 draw on Monday.

Group B rivals Cape Verde finished with the same three points and the same goal difference as DR Congo after a goalless draw against Zambia in treacherous conditions.

However, Cape Verde were eliminated by the slimmest of margins after scoring one less goal in the group stages.

Tunisia led through forward Ahmed Akaichi's first-half header but substitute Loteteka Bokila's 66th-minute equaliser was crucial for Congo as they squeezed through to the last eight through the tournament's tiebreaker rules.

DR Congo booked a showdown with near namesakes Congo without winning a game, while group winners Tunisia will face hosts Equatorial Guinea in Saturday's quarter-finals.

Zambia, who were the 2012 winners, finished last in Group B with two points and are eliminated early for a second successive tournament.

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.

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

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.