[AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS] Burkina Faso survived some dreadful refereeing to advance to the Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time with a 3-2 shootout win over Ghana. The Stallions will face Nigeria, a 4-1 winner over Mali in the other semifinal.

Mubarak Wakaso gave Ghana the lead in the 13th minute on a dubious penalty awarded by Tunisian referee Slim Jedidi.

But things got worse for the Burkinabe in overtime when Jedidi first disallowed a goal by Prejuce Nakoulma and then shockingly dismissed Jonathan Pitroipa, handing him his second yellow card for diving when replays showed the Stallion star had been taken down.

But Burkina won the shootout thanks to goals by Bakary Kone, Henri Traore and Aristide Bance, whose goal had equalized the game at 1-1 in the 60th minute.

Goals from Elderson Echiejile, Brown Ideye and an own goal by Mohamed Sissoko in the first half and Ahmed Musa's goal in the 60th minute allowed Nigeria's Super Eagles to cruise to its seventh appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations final.