BERLIN: Ivory Coast striker Didier Ya Konan hit his first Bundesliga goal since September as Hanover 96 were held to a 2-2 draw at Nuremberg on Sunday.

Having reached the recent Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, where the Ivory Coast lost to eventual winners Nigeria, Ya Konan, 28, put Hanover ahead with his 68th-minute strike before Nuremberg grabbed an equaliser at the death.

With time almost up, midfielder Sebastian Polter met US defender Timothy Chandler’s pin-point cross from the right flank to poach a point as Hanover moved up to 8th, while Nuremberg drop to 14th.

Hanover had taken a first-half lead through Hungary midfielder Szabolcs Huszti before Nuremberg equalised when Japan midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake’s freekick was headed home by Swiss defender Timm Klose on 53 minutes.

Hanover coach Mirko Slomka was sent to the stands for what referee Thorsten Kinhoefer deemed an inappropriate comment to the fourth official on 65 minutes.

Hoffenheim stay 10 points from safety and third from bottom, with just four points from their last 11 matches, as they lost 1-0 at home to VfB Stuttgart as Austria striker Martin Harnik hit the guests’ third-minute winner.