South Africa fought a strong rearguard action to knock cohosts Ghana out of the African Nations Cup yesterday, winning their quarter-final 1-0 after playing most of the second half with 10 men.

Siyabonga Nomvete got the game's only goal three minutes before half-time but South Africa were on the back foot after Eric Tinkler was dismissed three minutes into the second half. Tinkler picked up a second booking for a midfield challenge and left his team-mates to cling on precariously to their lead.

Shaun Bartlett was the provider of Nomvete's goal with a brilliant cross that the 22-yearold striker headed home with the Ghanaian defence hopelessly stretched.

Cameroon survived a late fightback in their quarter-final to beat Algeria 2-1. The Indomitable Lions, helped by some slack marking, swept into a two-goal lead inside half an hour through Real Madrid's Samuel Eto'o and West Ham's Marc-Vivien Foe.

Algeria came back strongly after half-time, reduced the deficit through Abdelhafid Tasfaout with 11 minutes left and came close to equalising.