Hosts Ivory Coast eliminated reigning champions Senegal in a penalty shootout to book their place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw after extra time of this 'Battle of the Afcon Giants' in Yamoussoukro.
Franck Kessie, who had scored from the spot four minutes from the end of normal time, converted the winning penalty to seal an extraordinary victory for the hosts, who redeemed themselves after a humiliating group-stage display which culminated in two defeats. Senegal had made a dream start when Habib Diallo struck in the fourth minute from a Sadio Mane cross.
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.
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.
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. He was later yellow-carded by the Gabonese referee after a reckless tackle on Ibrahim Sangare, who resumed after treatment on and off the field.
The Elephants' quarter-final will pit them against Mali or Burkina Faso, who play their last-16 tie in Korhogo. And it capped off a day of penalties which saw Cape Verde Islands captain, Ryan Mendes converting his penalty two minutes from time to edge his side to a 1-0 victory in their last-16 clash against Mauritania.
Cape Verde’s 1-0 win against Mauritania sees the smallest country at the 24-team tournament advance to the quarter-final. Mendes, who was in the team when the Cape Verdians previously reached the last eight in 2013, blasted home the spot kick to hand the islanders a deserved triumph after they had dominated another fast and furious affair.
The penalty was conceded by Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse, who was forced to come out as he scrambled to get to a poor back header from Yassin Cheikh El Welly and, in the process, brought down substitute striker Gilson Benchimol. Cape Verde, with a population of some 600,000, will meet either Morocco or South Africa in the last eight on Saturday.
They were the first team to secure a place in the knockout phase after beating Ghana and Mozambique in their opening Group B games and were confident against Mauritania, who upset Algeria in their last game to reach the knockouts for the first time.
Mendes had an early opportunity to score the opening goal, breaking through from the halfway line in the third minute and into the penalty area but his shot was deflected off a defender's boot and away for corner.
Six minutes later he produced a super first touch to take a long pass out of the air and in the same movement fire at goal from an angle but was narrowly wide.
Cape Verde's high pressing game put Mauritania on the back foot but clear-cut chances were in short supply with Bebe having a long-range shot blocked in the 25th minute and Jovane Cabral’s angled effort was punched away by Niasse.
Mauritania had good opportunity from a 57th minute free kick when Aboubakary Koita's dipping effort flew towards goal and onto the roof of the net.
They had an even better chance two minutes later as Amar Sidi Bouna fed Souleymane Anne who was clear on goal but missed from close range with a left-foot effort that swerved away from the target and clipped the outside of the woodwork.
But then Cape Verde ratcheted up the tempo, winning a series of corners in the last 15 minutes, but Niasse made some decisive saves while Cape Verde’s shooting also let them down.
It was the relentless pressure, however, that forced the error that led to the penalty and a dramatic finish.
“It’s sad for us but we’ve had a great tournament. We missed a little experience, speed and continuity,” said losing coach Amir Abdou.