Angola, reeling from the shock of the gun attack on the Togo team bus in Cabinda on Friday, were denied a winning start when they squandered a four-goal lead to draw 4-4 with Mali at Luanda's brand-new November 11 stadium.
The eight goals fell just one short of the 47-year-old record for the most in a single match at the Nations Cup finals.
Angola were coasting to a seemingly comfortable victory with just 11 minutes left before Mali put together a thrilling comeback, including two goals from Barcelona's Seydou Keita and a rocket-like header from former African Footballer of the Year Frederic Kanoute.
"In modern football you always have to believe and you have to be mentally strong," Mali captain Mahamadou Diarra told reporters.
"Our world was upside down in the second half but with our kind of experience we kept our cool and got back into the game."
Officials spent most of the day locked in talks before Togo's squad departed, with several players telling reporters they wished to stay and play on but Togo's government officials announcing their withdrawal from the tournament.
