Wadi Degla striker Saladin Said steered Ethiopia to their first Africa Cup of Nations finals in 30 years, while four-time champions Cameroon were shockingly eliminated by Cape Verde. Following a 5-3 first-leg defeat in Omdurman, Ethiopia managed to level the tie against Sudan with a 2-0 home victory, thanks to goals from full back Alula Girma and Said on 61 and 64 minutes. Said's crucial second goal meant that the Ethiopians have snatched the ticket to the South Africa finals on the away-goal rule. It is the first time since for Ethiopia, who were champions in 1962, to reach the biennial competition since 1982. Lions out! Elsewhere, Cameroon failed to overturn their 2-0 trailing to Cape Verde as they only managed a 2-1 win in the second leg on Sunday. The return of legendary captain Samuel Eto'o was not enough as the Indomitable Lions failed to qualify for the second year running. Ghana were the first team to make it to the finals in South Africa after defeating Malawi 3-0 on aggregate. Mali, Zambia, Nigeria, Tunisia and Morocco have all marched through as well, with eight more nations to join on Sunday.
