2023 AFCON: Late drama as Cote d’Ivoire come back from behind to beat Mali

Tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire pulled off an extraordinary comeback win despite being reduced to 10 men to beat Mali 2-1 after extra time and reach the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

In a dramatic quarter-final at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, the Elephants were dealt an early blow when Odilon Kossounou conceded a penalty and was sent off in the first half for fouling Lassine Sinayoko.

However, keeper Yahia Fofana saved Adama Traore’s spot kick to keep the Elehpants level at the break. 

Outnumbered, the hosts were eventually breached in the 71st minute when Mali substitute Nene Dorgeles fired in from the edge of the box to give the Eagles a deserved lead.

But the Ivorians showed tremendous spirit and equalised against the run of play through Simon Adingra, who pounced on a rebound after Seko Fofana’s long-range drive was parried.

The game went to extra time, where the heroics of keeper Fofana kept Mali at bay once more. 

As penalties loomed, Oumar Diakete snatched a dramatic late winner for Ivory Coast with a clever backheel finish in the 119th minute.

In an epic encounter, the Elephants once again showed their fighting spirit to stun another big rival and keep their AFCON dream alive.

Cotê d’Ivoire will play DR Congo in the semi-finals at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Wednesday, 07 February.

MATCH FACTS

• Côte d’Ivoire have won their first Africa Cup of Nations game that has gone to extra-time since the quarter-finals of the 1992 edition they eventually won (1-0 v Senegal, 11 penalty shoot-outs and one defeat between those wins).
• Mali and Côte d’Ivoire have both scored eight goals via substitutes at the African Cup of Nations since 2010. Only Egypt have scored more via players coming off the bench over that period (10). Indeed, it’s the first AFCON game to see goals scored by three different substitutes since 2010.
• Odilon Kossounou and Oumar Diakité are the first Côte d’Ivoire players to be sent off in the Africa Cup of Nations since Gervinho against Guinea in 2015.
• Yahia Fofana is the first Côte d’Ivoire goalkeeper to save a penalty at the Africa Cup of Nations since 2010 – 8 faced over that period.
• Mali’s Diadié Samassékou provided his second assist at the African Cup of Nations, doing so previously against Mauritania in his very first appearance in the competition back in 2019.
• Côte d’Ivoire’s Oumar Diakité is the first player to score a goal in the 120^th minute in the Africa Cup of Nations since Jaouad Zairi for Morocco against Algeria in the quarter-finals in 2004.

Source: CAF