A hotly disputed Jawhar Mnari goal midway through the second half of a bad-tempered clash took hosts Tunisia into the African Nations Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Senegal in thick fog Saturday.
Defending champions Cameroon or Nigeria, who clash Sunday in Monastir, are next in line for the Carthage Eagles as they bid to win the biennial showcase of African football for the first time.
The result was particularly sweet for Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre, who was in charge of defending champions France when they sensationally lost to Senegal in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup finals.
Ironically, Senegal coach Guy Stephan assisted Lemerre in a disastrous defence of the title which ended with France making a humiliating first-round exit while Senegal became only the second African team to reach the quarter-finals.
But the Teranga Lions have struggled since those heady days in the Far East with the slump in form of golden boy El Hadji Diouf mirroring that of his team-mates and Tunisia created more chance to emerge worthy winners.
The opening half produced few chances before a near-capacity crowd in the fog-enveloped 60,000-capacity November 7 Stadium on a cold, windy evening on the outskirts of the Tunisian capital.
Senegal were first to threaten with defender and new captain Pape Malick Diop heading narrowly wide and midfielder Salif Diao was off target after another free kick was floated into the Tunisian goalmouth.
Tunisia went close after seven minutes, striker Ziad Jaziri having a sizzling close-range shot deflected away for one of two corners forced by the Eagles during the first half.
When Senegal were awarded another free kick within striking distance of the Tunisian goal, twice African Footballer of the Year Diouf continued his disappointing tournament with an attempt that was easily cleared.
Lamine Sakho, from Leeds United, troubled the host nation with a strong run and when the ball trickled over the line, Diouf protested vainly for a corner.
Sakho looked dangerous again soon after, cutting in toward the goal of veteran France-base Ali Boumnijel only to be robbed of a chance to shoot by a superb tackle from Karim Hagui.
It took the Teranga Lions 32 minutes to force their first corner and when the kick dropped on the far side of the penalty area, Henri Camara beat Boumnijel with a snap shot that flew wide.
Camara, another English Premiership player in the Senegalese side, burst through and it took a superb tackle from veteran Tunisian defender Radhi Jaidi to stop the Wolves striker.
United Arab Emirates referee Ali Bujsaim booked two Senegal players in the closing minutes of the half.
Pape Bouba Diop was first to receive a yellow card quickly follwed by Diao for a cynical tackle from behind.
The fog had thickened considerably by the start of the second half and many spectators were unhappy with their limited view of the third Nations Cup clash between the countries. The previous two in 1965 and 2002 finished goalless.
Anis Ayari triggered some palpitations on the Senegalese bench with a shot that took a deflection and dipped just over with goalkeeper Tony Sylva slightly off his line.
There was panic in the Tunisian goalmouth when a hesitant Boumnijel failed to clear the ball and Malick Diop was not far off target with the Tunisian defence in disarray.
Jaidi was next to try and end the deadlock in an increasingly tough battle of attrition, but his medium range shot posed no danger to Sylva.
With 65 minutes gone the stalemate finally ended with a downward header from midfielder Mnari beating Sylva and a brave attempt by Lamine Diatta to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Mehdi Nafti created the goal with a cross to Jaziri, whose spectacular bicycle kick flew into the path of Mnari.
Furious Senegalese players and officials held up play for four minutes protesting the goal, but when play resumed the West Africans seemed rattled and Sylva almost came unstuck when slow to clear.
Jaziri and Brazil-born Silva dos Santos were cautioned as the tension grew while Diouf fired just wide in a rare moment when he concentrated on the ball rather than arguing with the match officials.
Both teams squandered chances during a hectic 10 minutes of stoppage time with Sylva lucky to escape embarrassment when he ventured to the halfway line and was caught out of position only for a defender to clear the ball.