Cameroon and Egypt upset the odds in the Cup of Nations semi finals to send hosts Ghana and favourites Ivory Coast crashing out.
Cameroon edged out the Ghanaians in the first semi final in Accra thanks to a 71st minute goal from Alain Nkong. The midfielder was played through after some neat interplay with Samuel Eto'o and Jean-Joël Epalle and finished confidently past Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson.
The goal completed a fairy story for Nkong, who was brought into the Cup of Nations squad having not played for Cameroon since a World Cup qualifier in 2001.
In a largely dull first half, the Indomitable Lions went closest when Geremi's powerful free-kick struck the frame of the Ghanaian goal, while Achille Emana also spurned a chance. At the other end, Ghana had plenty of possession but struggled to convert it into real chances.
In the latter stages, the hosts pressed for an equalizer with Junior Agogo heading over in the last ten minutes but the game will be overshadowed by an unfortunate incident in injury time that led to the dismissal of Cameroon's Reading defender André Bikey.
With Cameroon's outstanding defender Rigobert Song receiving treatment for an injury, Bikey inexplicably ran over and pushed one of the medical officials to the floor, leaving Moroccan referee Abderrahim El Arjoune no option but to show him a red card.
Bikey, who had played well until that moment as Cameroon's defence resisted any Ghanaian efforts to get back into the match, will now miss the final due to his moment of madness and is likely to face a lengthy suspension from international football.
In the final, Cameroon will face Egypt for the second time in the tournament after the Pharaohs pulled off an emphatic 4-1 victory over tournament favourites Ivory Coast in Kumasi.
Former Sheffield Utd right-back Ahmed Fathy was the unlikely scorer of the opening goal, his deflected shot wrongfooting Boubacar Barry in the 12th minute. The Ivorians created plenty of chances thereafter but it was the north Africans who were more ruthless in front of goal.
After Didier Drogba was denied by goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary Egypt left the field at half time a goal up but could not have dreamed how the second half would turn out.
The Ivory Coast dominated possession and created many chances but could not beat the outstanding El-Hadary - the same goalkeeper who kept them at bay in the 2006 final penalty shoot-out in Cairo.
Amr Zaky doubled Egypt's lead after an hour, heading Ahmed Hassan's corner in off the underside of the crossbar but the Ivory Coast struck back immediately with a stunning long-range effort from Abdul Kader Keïta.
The fightback was shortlived, however, as Zaky doubled his tally, taking advantage of some dreadful defending by Kolo Touré to drive past substitute goalkeeper Stephan Loboué. Ivory Coast continued to press for a way back into the match but left themselves open to Egypt's clinical counter-attacks and in injury time Mohamed Zidan set up Mohamed Aboutreika to fire home Egypt's fourth.
Sunday's final will be difficult to predict, with Cameroon much improved since Egypt's impressive 4-2 victory over them in the opening match in Group C on 22nd January.
Results
GHANA 0 CAMEROON 1 (Nkong 71')
IVORY COAST 1 (Keïta 63') EGYPT 4 (Fathy 12', Zaky 62', 67', Aboutreika 90')
