Deadlocked in a match that was at times dull and often gritty, Mali and Tunisia ultimately resorted to a penalty shootout to decide the winner, with victory going to the Malian football team (1-1, 3-2 on penalties) on Saturday, January 3rd in Casablanca (Morocco), in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
After a laborious first half lacking in precision – with no shots on target from either side – the second half offered no more promising prospects. Reduced to ten men following the early sending-off of Woyo Coulibaly (26th minute), Mali were logically dominated. As the match approached added time, Tunisia, who had been in control despite lacking creativity, thought they had sealed the win through Firas Chaouat (88th minute), who was left unmarked by the defense and scored a header that could have been decisive.
But fate had other plans. Just before the final whistle, Yassine Meriah was guilty of a handball in his own box, giving Mali the chance to equalize, which Lassine Sinayoko converted (90th+6 minute), sending the game to extra time. The more intense thirty additional minutes, however, only led to the dreaded penalty shootout. Malian goalkeeper Djigui Diarra then distinguished himself with two consecutive saves, against Elias Achouri and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, securing victory for his team.
Qualified for the AFCON quarter-finals for the second consecutive edition, Mali will face Senegal on January 9th. They will attempt to secure their first win of the tournament against them, after drawing all four of their matches so far. “Before, people criticized us because we played well but didn’t win, and now we don’t play well, we win, and people complain,” Lassine Sinayoko remarked. “So next time, we’ll try to play well and win.”
Senegal Came From Behind Against Sudan
Having been beaten by Ivory Coast in the round of 16 of the last AFCON, the Senegalese were back at the same stage of the competition on Saturday. This time, they navigated the hurdle, if not brilliantly, at least with control. Coach Pape Thiaw’s men secured a (3-1) victory against Sudan in Tangier (Morocco).
But for the Lions of Teranga, things were not as simple as the final score might suggest. Heavily favored to win, the Senegalese were stunned in the opening minutes by a superb strike from striker Aamir Abdallah, whose left-footed curler found the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Edouard Mendy helpless.
Far from panicking after this disastrous start, Senegal calmly implemented their game, confident in their strength. After all, they knew they possessed a unique offensive power, with Bayern Munich striker Nicolas Jackson, Crystal Palace’s Ismaïla Sarr, and former Liverpool star Sadio Mané.
Paradoxically, the solution ultimately came from a less heralded player: Pape Gueye. The former Olympique de Marseille midfielder, now playing in Spain for Villarreal, first equalized with his left foot before putting his team ahead before halftime. Coming on in the second half, Parisian Ibrahim Mbaye took care of adding more weight to the scoreline late in the match.