By DPA
Tamale (Ghana) : A spectacular late goal by Mejdi Traoui helped Tunisia to hold Senegal 2-2 and split points in a Group D match at the African Cup of Nations played here.
Moustapha Bayal and Diomansy Kamara scored for Senegal, while Issam Jomaa scored the other goal for the 2004 champions Tunisia here Wednesday. Some 12,000 spectators in the 20,000-seater Tamale Stadium saw both sides playing attacking football from the first whistle.
It was Tunisia who drew first blood in the ninth minute when Wissam El Bekri flicked the ball to Jomaa and the Caen player, who was the top scorer in the qualifying rounds, made no mistake with an excellent finish.
The 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists Senegal were unlucky not to draw level midway in the first half through Mamadou Niang, who turned his marker and unleashed a powerful shot that skimmed agonisingly close past the post.
Senegal was finally rewarded for their efforts with the final kick of the first half after a dreadful mistake by Tunisian captain Radh Jaïdi, whose half-hearted attempt at a clearance fell to the feet of Bayal, whose shot gave Hamdi Kasraoui of Tunisia no chance.
The West Africans nearly went ahead 22 seconds after the restart when El Hadji Diouf stormed down on Kasraoui, but pushed his shot just wide.
Just three minutes later the Bolton striker sent through Kamara, but the Fulham player rather selfishly elected to shoot himself when Niang was free.
Kamara made amends in the 65th minute after a goalkeeping error gifted the Senegalese a corner, which the Tunisian defenders failed to clear.
The ball fell to Kamara, who gave a diving Kasraoui no chance from close range.
The goal seemed to lift the Senegalese spirits even further as they went in search of the winner, but Niang and Hadji missed good chances.
Instead of Senegal scoring another, it was Traoui who found an unexpected equaliser in the 82nd minute with a stunning effort from well outside the area.