Rejuvenated hosts Ivory Coast came back from dreadful defeats to edge out defending champions Senegal following a dramatic penalty shoot-out to grab quarter-finals ticket in the 2023 African Cup of Nations thriller.
Nigeria had beaten Ivory Coast 1-0 and the hosts suffered a 4-0 debilitating loss to Equatorial Guinea regarded as giant killers during the preliminary stage at the soccer tournament.
As a result, Ivory Coast sacked head coach Jean-Louis Gasset, but the interim Coach Franck Kessié brought the hosts from near burial in the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, Ivory Coast beat Senegal 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra-time in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro on Monday night.
Related posts
- AFCON: Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea progress to round 16 as Ivory Coast exit
- AFCON: Senegal crush Cameroon to join Cape Verde in Round 16
- Nigeria’s Super Eagles deal blow on Host Ivory Coast in AFCON 2023
Therefore, the Elephants progressed to the quarterfinals of Africa’s biggest football tournament. The hosts will now go head to head with either Mali or Burkina Faso in the last eight on 3 February at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.
Senegal, on the other hand, crashed out of the tournament as their hopes of successfully defending the Afcon title diminished and they will now travel back home after a shock exit.
It took just four minutes for the Lions of Teranga to take the lead after some great work by Sadio Mane. The two-time CAF Footballer of the Year set up Habib Diallo who was afforded space and time to fire home to hand Senegal a 1-0 lead.
The Elephants responded by exerting pressure on the Lions of Teranga with Seko Fofana driving the hosts forward. The Al Nassr midfielder was able to test goalkeeper Edouard Mendy who made a great save to deny Fofana in the 40th minute and the score was 1-0 to Senegal at halftime.
Ivory Coast created the better chances after the restart with Mendy forced to pull off a fine save to deny Franck Kessie in the 73rd minute. Pressure was mounting on Senegal as Nicolas Pepe was sent through on goal in the 77th minute and he was also denied by Mendy.
The Elephants continued to push for the equalising goal and they were awarded a penalty after Pepe was fouled by Mendy in the box.
Kessie stepped up and beat Mendy from the spot-kick to make it 1-1, and the game ended in a draw in regulation time, and extra-time followed.
The two teams attacked each other in extra-time, but there were no goals and the match was decided by a penalty shootout. Ivory Coast won 5-4 on penalties with Kessie scoring the winning penalty as Moussa Niakhate became the only one who missed during the shootout.
