By Durosimi Thomas in Accra

The Ivory Coast just missed out on qualification for the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in agonising fashion in Accra.

The Elephants' shock victory over highly fancied co-hosts Ghana was not enough to take them through to the knock-out stages.

They needed a third goal to creep into the quarter-finals, but poor finishing saved the Black Stars from an early exit and they went through courtesy of a superior goal difference.

Ivorian coach Martin Tia Gbonke - who made six changes to the side that lost 3-0 to Cameroon - finally discovered the chemistry of his winning formula just too late.

But the Ivorian game plan was lacklustre early on, giving Ghana a host of opportunities in the first-half, as Otto Addo and Augustine Arhinful wasted good chances.

However, the Ghanaian defence was left wide open for the Holland-based star of the Elephants, Bonaventure Kalou to score with the last kick of the half.

Ghana were locked inside their own territory for the early part of the second-half as the Elephants went on the rampage.

Kalou devastated the Ghanaian defence at walking-pace, but Modibo Diallo Gnahoua Zoko failed to turn the effort of the Feyenoord striker into goals.

Gbonke made two changes later in the match that nearly paid dividends as Ibrahima Bakayoko and Olivier Donald Sie came on to unleash refined terror on the Ghanaians.

And with less than 10 minutes to play, Donald Sie was left unmarked from a counter-attack, to slide home from outside the box.

Ghana just managed to hold on until the final whistle - but they still had time to try to pull a goal back.

Two substitutes, Peter Ofori-Quaye and Yaw Preko, were denied by Ivorian keeper, Alain Gouamene.

The Ivorians went out of the competition just as they did four years ago in South Africa, where they lost 2-0 to Ghana in the first round.

But for the Black Stars, they have to make the 262km trip to face the winners of Group B in Kumasi.

Teams:

Ghana: Richard Kingston; Samuel Kuffour, Samuel Johnson, Stephen Baidoo, Emmanual Kuffour; Mark Edusei, Otto Addo, Alex Nyarko, Charles Akonnor; Kwame Ayew, Augustine Ahinful

Ivory Coast: Alain Gouamene; Olivier Tebily, Ghislain Akassou, Dominique Sam Abouo; Ibrahima Kone, Serge Die, Aliou Siby Badra, Tchiressoa Guel, Bonaventure Kalou; Hamed Modibo Diallo, Zephirin Zoko