Tunisia and South Africa both required spectacular late equalizers to keep Group D wide open at the Tamale Stadium in Ghana.
South African substitute winger Elrio van Heerden unleashed a superb left-foot shot into the top corner three minutes from time to earn Bafana Bafana's first Cup of Nations point since a 1-1 draw with Morocco in 2004. The result was hard on Angola but South Africa will feel they deserved their point after Aaron Mokoena had a goal controversially ruled not to have crossed the goalline with ten minutes remaining.
Angola had taken the lead in the first half with a fine diving header from Manchester United-bound striker Manucho Gonçalves, converting Flávio Amado's scooped cross from the left side of the penalty area.
Both sides created chances in the open evening fixture, aware that group favourites Tunisia and Senegal cancelling each other out in the earlier fixture presented them both with an opportunity for progress to the quarter finals.
South Africa have travelled to Ghana with a young, experimental squad, with coach Carlos Alberto Parreira eager to incubate an experienced squad for the 2010 World Cup, for which they qualify automatically as the host team. Blackburn Rovers' veteran striker Benni McCarthy, a scorer in the World Cups of 1998 and 2002, remains in England, while left winger Delron Buckley and striker Siyabonga Nomvethe have also been omitted.
Earlier, a similarly stunning long-range effort from Mejdi Traoui had rescued a 2-2 draw for Roger Lemerre's Tunisia side against Senegal.
Issam Jemâa's early angled drive had given the north Africans a deserved lead but Senegal unexpectedly equalized with the last kick of the half when Moustapha Bayal Sall side-footed past Tunisian keeper Hamdi Kasraoui after Radhi Jaïdi gave the ball away outside his own area.
Fulham forward Diomansy Kamara put Senegal in front midway through the second half, finishing from close range after Tunisia failed to clear from a goalmouth scramble.
But Traoui's 25-yard strike flew into the top corner in the 82nd minute to earn the 2004 champions a point.
The match was the first draw of the tournament and was immediately followed by the second, leaving Group B in the balance. There is no obvious outsider among the four teams, with all having qualified for a World Cup since the turn of the century.
Manucho's goal will make the headlines in Britain, with most Manchester United fans getting their first glimpse of what looks like being a decent find for Sir Alex Ferguson.
Results
TUNISIA 2 (Jemâa 9', Traoui 82') SENEGAL 2 (Bayal Sall 45', Kamara 66')
SOUTH AFRICA 1 (van Heerden 87') ANGOLA 1 (Manucho 29')
