Mali and Uruguay are both likely to progress into the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup after playing out a 1-1 draw in Hamilton this afternoon.
The deadlock sees both sides end on four points after their group stage encounters in Group D, with Serbia topping the group onsix points and Mexico going home after only mustering three points.
Due to finishing with the exact same record and goal difference, the two sides had to draw lots to decide who finished second and therefore qualified automatically for the knockout rounds, with Uruguay earning the honours.
However, Mali are also likely to progress as one of the top third-placed sides in the competition.
Mali were looking the most eager to snare a winner this afternoon, taking 17 shots to Uruguay's two, but most were low-quality attempts with nine being blocked and just two being on target.
Uruguay went ahead in the 17th minute through a Franco Acosta header after an awful clearance from a Mali defender. With the ball looking like it might have been out of play, Hamidou Maiga's mishit clearance was nodded back into the area where Acosta was lurking to head home past Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
Mali equalised in equally interesting fashion right before the break when Uruguayan keeper Gaston Guruceaga handled a backpass, giving Mali an indirect free kick inside the penalty area which Adama Traore fired past an onrushing wall of Uruguayan defenders.
With neither side wanting to commit forward and risk what could be a fatal concession; the two sides played out a quiet second half, and will now have to wait for the final results of group stage play to have their fate confirmed.
