AFCON 2023 Day 15 Reviews: Teranga Lions out as Ivorian Elephants steal victory with last gasp penalty shootout
(Made In Africa Sport) – It was a clash for the ages, as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) defending champions Senegal fell to the host country Cote d’Ivoire in a match that was as unbelievable as it was tense. Franck Kessie came off the bench to equalize Habib Diallo’s fourth minute stunner in the 86th minute, stealing hope for the Ivorians at the death before sealing their progression to the quarters with the last spot-kick in the shoot-out.
The Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire progressed as one the best third-placed teams from the group stage after losing back-to-back against Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. The Elephants seemed to have suffered the same regression as other AFCON giants like Tunisia and Cameroon, and despite qualifying, no one expected much from them against Senegal.
On the other hand, the Teranga Lions were the only team in the group stage to record a perfect start to the AFCON 2023, securing the maximum nine points in Group D while solidifying their championship status. It was, therefore, no surprise as they kicked off to a flying start in Yammoussokro through Habib Diallo in the fourth minute, as the striker collected an offload from Sadio Mane on the left before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top left corner.
The Ivorians kept pushing for the leveller, and their chance came in the 86th minute, as Franck Kessie slot in his spot-kick to offer the Elephants a lifeline in the game. The midfielder would go on to score the final spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out, as Cote d’Ivoire progressed through 5 – 4 on penalties. It was a disappointing end to the run for Senegal, who were heavily tipped to reappear in the finals this time, and the Ivorians can count their blessings heading into the last eight.
⌚ FULL-TIME!
Cote d’Ivoire are through after an intense penalty shootouts! 🇨🇮#SENCIV | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/kBtagLEzWX
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 29, 2024
The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde are their opponents for the quarterfinals, as the underdogs also left it till late to clinch the much-needed 1 – 0 win over Mauritania that would take them to the quarterfinals. Ryan Mendes had missed a chance to put the Blue Sharks ahead in the opening stages, but he made no mistakes from the spot in the 88th minute to send the Blue Sharks through.
Today’s fixtures will feature Mali taking on Burkina Faso, as Morocco prepare against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa. Senegal’s loss ensures that Egypt remain the last AFCON defending champions to progress pass the round of 16, as the Pharaohs got to the quarterfinals in 2012 after winning the 2010 AFCON.
The AFCON knockout stages promised a lot of drama and we have them in surplus amounts. Stay tuned for more reviews as the path to the AFCON finals gets clearer.
