Pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast were held to a goalless draw by neighbours Burkina Faso in yesterday's only African Nations Cup Group B game.
Ghana were left without an opponent for the scheduled second match after Togo pulled out of the competition following the deadly attack on their team bus last Friday.
Togo left on a chartered flight sent to collect them after the attack on Sunday but had expressed the hope they might be able to return and compete at the Nations Cup. However, the Confederation of African Football last night announced that Togo were officially disqualified from the tournament.
"They are disqualified. This group (B) is a three-team tournament," Yaouba Amoa, a coordinator with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), told reporters yesterday.
Togo midfielder Thomas Dossevi described the CAF decision as "ridiculous".
"It would have been simple for us to come back and play on Jan. 21, I think Ghana would have agreed to that," he told Reuters by telephone.
"It is a serious and ridiculous decision. Everybody wanted us to be here and play the African Nations Cup."
At Cambinda, Ivory Coast, Africa's leading contenders at this year's World Cup in South Africa, enjoyed most of the posession but Bakary Kone failed to convert three clear chances and Didier Drogba was far from his brilliant best.
Ivory Coast got off to a good start and were denied a third-minute penalty when Drogba was brought down in the box.
A Kone 20-metre drive then went just over as Burkina Faso struggled in the Chiazi National Stadium.
Yaya Toure's header was cleared off his line by a defender shortly before the half hour with Kone again being denied by Burkina keeper Daouda Diakite on the stroke of halftime.
Marseille striker Kone missed the target 10 minutes into the second half with a fine shot from just outside the box.
Burkina Faso improved after the break while the pitch and Ivory Coast deteriorated.
Moumouni Dagano forced Boubacar Barry to make a spectacular dive with a powerful 40-metre free kick and Kone then missed the open goal after being perfectly set up by Gervinho in the 69th minute.
Malawi stun Algeria
Malawi, making their first African Cup appearance for 26 years and only their second overall, stunned World Cup qualifiers Algeria 3-0 in their opening Group A match.
Russell Mwafulirwa gave the rank outsiders a 17th-minute lead when he took advantage of slapstick defending and Elvis Kafoteka headed a second before the break in a near-deserted November 11 stadium.
Davi Banda scored early in the second half to complete Malawi's first ever win at the tournament and send them top of Group A, ahead of hosts Angola and Mali.
Playing today: Group C - 5 p.m. Egypt vs Nigeria; 7.30 p.m. Mozambique vs Benin.