RUSTENBURG, South Africa - Youssef Msakni has struck in the final minute to hand Tunisia a 1-0 win over Algeria in a scrappy Africa Cup of Nations match.
Msakni, a recent signing for Qatar club Lakhouya, lived up to his nickname of the 'Little Mozart' with a superb strike to settle a game that had otherwise failed miserably to justify its billing as one of the headline ties of the opening round.
The North African neighbours, both former champions, were meeting for the first time in the 56-year Africa Cup of Nations.
Earlier, Africa Cup favourites Ivory Coast were made to sweat but eventually overcame enterprising 'lightweights' Togo 2-1 to get their campaign off on the right note.
Premier League stars Yaya Toure and Gervinho got the goals for the continent's top-ranked team with Jonathan Ayite scoring for Togo, back in the competition after the deadly Cabinda attack before the 2010 finals in Angola.
Despite all the pre-competition focus on Didier Drogba making his Cup swansong, the veteran China-based striker went largely AWOL throughout the match and was taken off with quarter of an hour to go.
Meanwhile the Confederation of African Football has fined Ethiopia's football federation $US10,000 (F17,636) after the team's fans hurled vuvuzelas and other missiles onto the pitch during Monday's draw with Zambia.
CAF announced the fine late on Tuesday, adding that half of the $US10,000 (F$17,636) penalty would be suspended on condition that Ethiopia's fans are not found guilty of a similar offence during the rest of the tournament.
The Group C game at Mbombela turned ugly when Gabonese referee Eric Otogo-Castane dismissed Ethiopia goalkeeper Jemal Tassew shortly after the half-hour mark.