Captain Mahamadou Diarra scored a dramatic injury-time winner to give Mali a 2-1 win over Guinea and a place in the semi-finals of the African Nations Cup on Saturday.
But the winning goal was a nightmare for Guinea goalkeeper Kemoko Camara who fumbled Diarra's long distance drive and allowed the ball to slip beneath his body.
The win gives Mali, who had to fight back from a goal down, a semi-final place for the fourth time in four appearances and they will face either Morocco or Algeria for a place in the final.
Pascal Feindounou had given Guinea a 14th minute lead before Frederic Kanoute hit a first-half injury-time equaliser.
Mali coach Henri Stambouli was full of praise for Tottenham striker Kanoute who has now joined Cameroon's Patrick Mboma as joint top scorer at the tournament with four goals.
"Once again Kanoute found the goal just at the right time for us on the stroke of half-time and that gave us great confidence," said Stambouli.
"He made lots of good things happen for us and helped our strikers find solutions they needed. But it was a difficult game against a very strong Guinea team.
"It was a collective performance and a victory for all the players, the staff and all of Mali.
"It was a dramatic end but at the end is the perfect time to score a winning goal."
Stambouli sprang a surprise by leaving out Valencia's Lamine Sissoko in favour of Dramane Traore who had scored in the 1-1 draw with Senegal.
It was Kanoute who had the first chance in the second minute when his firm right foot shot from Soumaila Coulibaly's cross was saved at the foot of the post by goalkeeper Kemoko Camara.
Then a smart Kanoute turn and pass released Traore but the Ismailia striker could only hit a weak shot straight at Camara.
But it was Guinea who took the lead in the 15th minute when Mali defender Souleymane Diamoutene lost the ball on the edge of his own box to Souleymane Youla.
He passed to Titi Camara who in turn squared the ball quickly and smartly to Feindounou and the Bordeaux midfielder coolly slotted the ball past keeper Mahamadou Sidibe for his second goal of the tournament.
In the 37th minute, Kanoute got behind the Guinea defence but his fierce volley was pushed over the top by Kemoko Camara.
Mali continued to push looking for the equaliser and Soumaila Coulibaly curled a left-footed free-kick around the Guinea wall but also past the post three minutes before the break.
In first half injury time, however, Guinea should have been 2-0 ahead when Youla played a one-two with Titi Camara but he could only hit his shot straight at Sidibe.
He was made to pay for the miss as just moments later, in the second minute of time added on, Mali were back on level terms.
Almamy Bah misjudged a long ball, allowed it to drop behind him where Kanoute was loitering and the Tottenham man scored with a fine lob over Kemoko Camara to register his fourth goal of the tournament.
The Guinea keeper had to be alert in the 52nd minute to parry Dramane Traore's volley from Bassala Toure's accurate crossfield ball.
Titi Camara also showed that he could volley a ball when he latched on to Youla's pass in the 58th minute only to see his shot safely gathered by Sidibe.
Back at the other end, Kanoute was again given a free look at goal from Traore's neat pass but Kemoko Camara saved with his feet.
That was Traore's last involvement as Sissoko was introduced into the game on the hour mark.
In an end-to-end second half, Titi Camara volleyed over the top after being left unmarked on the edge of the box and as, Guinea pressed, Feindounou blasted over the top in the 83rd minute.
With three minutes left, Guinea came closest when Diamoutene deflected the ball onto his own post.