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HOSTS IVORY COAST put a disastrous group campaign behind them on Monday to beat holders Senegal 5-4 on penalties and book an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Mali or Burkina Faso.
A last-16 thriller ended 1-1 after extra time with Habib Diallo scoring after four minutes and Franck Kessie equalised off a penalty four minutes from the end of regular time in Yamoussoukro.
Kessie was the shootout hero, converting the decisive kick after Moussa Niakhate had struck the post with the third Senegalese penalty.
A humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea last Monday did not dampen support for the host nation with supporters queueing from the middle of the night to buy tickets in the central city.
French coach Jean-Louis Gasset was fired after the record home loss and, after failing in an attempt to bring back former coach Herve Renard, the Elephants promoted assistant Emerse Fae.
The west African showdown pitted the most and least impressive of the 16 qualifiers from the group stage against each other.
Senegal comfortably beat the Gambia, Cameroon and Guinea to top Group D, and were the only section winners to progress having secured a maximum nine points.
Ivory Coast managed only three points after also losing to Nigeria and had a minus-three goal difference, but still squeezed through as the last of the four best third-placed countries.
Fae made five changes to the team that kicked off against Equatorial Guinea, promoting Serge Aurier, Odilon Kossounou, Jean Michael Seri, Max-Alain Gradel and Jean-Philippe Krasso.
Despite defeating Guinea 2-0 in their last group game, Senegal changed three of that starting line-up with Moussa Niakhate, Abdou Diallo and Lamine Camara coming in.
The last thing mentally brittle Ivory Coast wanted to happen was conceding an early goal, but within four minutes they were a goal behind as Habib Diallo scored his second of this AFCON.
Sadio Mane crossed and Diallo controlled the ball with his chest before unleashing a rising shot past goalkeeper Youssef Fofana.
Mane was yellow-carded by the Gabonese referee five minutes later after a reckless tackle on Ibrahim Sangare, who resumed after treatment on and off the field.
Showing a huge improvement from their last match, the Ivorians gradually took control only to be thwarted by opponents who pulled all 10 outfield players back when under pressure.
Having soaked up considerable pressure, the defending champions finished the opening half strongly without being able to increase their lead.
As a tense tie entered the final quarter, Ivory Coast had more possession, but Senegal looked the likelier scorers with Ismaila Sarr having a shot parried and a penalty appeal rejected.
Amid excitement in the crowd at the introduction of Sebastien Haller, who missed the group stage through injury, Mane was just off target with a shot from close range.
When the Ivorians opted for a route-one approach, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved superbly from substitute Nicolas Pepe.
But Senegal finally cracked on 86 minutes when Mendy fouled Pepe and, after a VAR review, the referee changed his decision not to award a spot-kick and Franck Kessie calmly converted it.
Two-time African Player of the Year Mane was foiled just before half-time in extra time when his shot was smothered by Fofana.
Ivory Coast players celebrate after winning the penalty shootout. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Meanwhile, Cape Verde won an Africa Cup of Nations knockout tie for the first time in their history on Monday as a late Ryan Mendes penalty gave them a 1-0 victory over Mauritania in the last 16.
The match at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan was drifting towards extra time when Cape Verde won a spot-kick and captain Mendes converted with just two minutes of the 90 remaining to break Mauritania’s resistance.
Shamrock Rovers’ Roberto Lopes played the full game at centre-half for the winners.
The Blue Sharks then held on through 10 added minutes to advance to a quarter-final on Saturday in Yamoussoukro against either Morocco or South Africa, who meet in the last 16 on Tuesday.
The tiny Atlantic Ocean island nation had got out of their group in two of their three previous appearances at the AFCON, but had never before won a knockout tie.
Mauritania had been hoping to extend their fine run in Ivory Coast, after they won a Cup of Nations match for the first time in nine attempts in their last group game, beating Algeria to eliminate one of the continent’s powerhouses.
But a side coached by Amir Abdou, who took tiny Comoros to the last 16 in Cameroon two years ago, will go no further after failing to find a way past Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha.
The Chinguetti Lions will look back with regret at one fine chance just before the hour mark, when Souleymane Anne was played into a great position inside the box only to put his shot over.
Cape Verde looked the more likely team as the minutes ticked down, and Mendes came very close to scoring with a header from a corner that was well saved by Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse.
They were then awarded a penalty when substitute Gilson Tavares Benchimol was brought down in the box by Niasse after intercepting a poor header back from Mauritania defender Yassin El Welly.
The Egyptian referee pointed to the spot, and Mendes, of Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, smashed home the penalty, his second goal of the tournament making history for his country.
– © AFP 2024
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