JOHANNESBURG: World Cup qualifiers Ghana fought back twice to draw 2-2 with Mali on Sunday in the last Africa group game for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Lassana Fane and Tenema Ndiaye were on target for the understrength visitors, who were expected to push the ‘Black Stars’ for a Cup place but finished a disappointing third behind Benin with Sudan last. Matthew Amoah scored the first equaliser for Ghana and Anthony Annan the second six minutes from full-time at Baba Yaro Stadium in Kumasi.

The visitors knew only maximum points would clinch second place after Romuald Boco scored a second-half winner as Benin defeated Sudan 2-1 in Omdurman on Saturday.

Ghana, who included fullback Samuel Inkoom from the 2009 FIFA Youth World Cup-winning team, fell behind midway through the first half when Sudan-based Fane converted a free kick.

But the Ghanaian duo combined to create a 65th-minute equaliser with Amoah tapping a rebound into the net. Mali regained the lead within four minutes through an Ndiaye header and a similar effort by Muntari rebounded off the woodwork before Norway-based Annan punished slack marking to head the goal that salvaged a point.

Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Nigeria have also secured places at the World Cup. Algeria or Egypt will fill the final berth on Wednesday. World Cup fixtures doubled as African Nations Cup eliminators and Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, holders Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia will join hosts Angola at the January 10-31 event.