LUANDA: Mali made a miraculous recovery to pull back from a four goal deficit to hold Angola to a 4-4 draw in the opening game of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations here on Sunday.

The hosts appeared set for the best possible start when a first half double from Flavio Armado and penalties from Gilberto and Manucho had them celebrating a famous victory. With only 16 minutes on the clock Mali looked down and out. But a double from Seydou Keita and contributions from Frederic Kanoute and Mustapha Yattabare gave them an improbable draw.

This curtain raiser began with a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Friday’s deadly gun attack on the Togo team coach in Cabinda. This was the first ever match at the 11 November stadium built by the Chinese and ressembling a smaller version of Beijing’s Birds’ Nest.

In the 35th minute Flavio raced on to Gilberto’s angled freekick to put the hosts’ in front. One minute from the break Flavio got his double, another fine header set up by Jose ‘Malbina’ Alberto.

Mali looked a more purposeful after the break, with only Angola keeper Carlos Fernandes’ charging out of his box stopping Mahamadou Diarra’s shot. Gilberto then struck from the spot after he was brought down by Mamadou Samassa. Manucho got Angola’s fourth, also from the spot after another foul on Gilberto.

But Angola crumbled. Keita began the comeback after a scramble in the box. Then Kanoute struck with a header, with Keita producing a volley for his double and Yattabare grabbing a highly unlikely draw.