* It took just 3 minutes for Mali to take the lead after a powerful Amadou Haidara header came off the woodwork
* Meanwhile, Senegal coach Cisse says it was tough to see players cry in locker room after defeat by Côte d’Ivoire
Maravi Express
Mali are through to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Côte d’ivoire 2023 quarter finals after a nail-biting 2-1 win over Burkina Faso tonight in Korhogo.
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An unfortunate own goal by Edmond Tabsoba along with a second half strike by Lassine Sinayoko were enough for the Eagles to soar over the Stallions at a packed Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.
It took just 3 minutes for Mali to take the lead after a powerful Amadou Haidara header came off the woodwork, but instead of it being cleared away, Edmond Tabsoba was unfortunate to see his clearance go into his own net.
Minutes later, Kamory Doumbia, who was a handful for the Burkinabe defense almost doubled his side’s lead after a great build up saw him through on goal, but his effort was denied by the advancing Kouakou Koffi.
A golden opportunity fell the way of the in-form Sinayoko to double the lead after doing well to turn his marker to unleash a powerful effort that was denied by the alert Koffi in the 35th minute.
Carried by the momentum, the Eagles continued surging forward but wasted numerous opportunities as they took the slender lead into the break.
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Returning from the recess, Sinayoko capitalized on a lapse of concentration after beating the offside trap to face the keeper and comfortably slot home with just minutes into the restart.
A lifeline was given to the Stallions after Mohamed Konate’s headed effort came off the arm of Boubacar Kouyate for VAR to award the penalty that was converted by skipper, Bertrand Traore in the 57th minute.
The Stallions eventually gained their rhythm and piled on the pressure, but a resolute Mali defense kept them at bay, as the Eagles soar into the quarter-finals to face tournament hosts, Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday, February 3 in Bouake.
Meanwhile, a p dejected Senegal coach, Aliou Cisse says it was “tough to see the players cry” in the locker room after their shock penalty shootout defeat by host Côte d’Ivoire in Monday’s AFCON Round of 16.
The reigning champions were dumped out 5-4 on penalties by the tournament hosts on Monday following a dramatic 1-1 draw after extra time and Cisse told CAFonline: “I am disappointed after this result, especially for our players — we came here to retain the title and play for our people.”
Losing in such fashion after dominating the match made the pain worse for the team and the coach: “It’s tough to see the players cry in the locker room — the match was strange and complicated; we could have won.”
Senegal led until the 86th minute when Franck Kessie equalized from the penalty spot and Cisse felt his side failed to manage the game well enough when it mattered most: “We lost on penalties; we kept our lead until the last 5 minutes. I am disappointed after this defeat, especially after our performance and from the first match,” he lamented.
With Senegal’s trophy defense now over, Cisse acknowledged changes are inevitable as the team looks to rebuild: “We need to make changes after this defeat; we’ll see what happens in the future. There is sorrow, and our players are sad, as is the Senegalese people.”
However, Cisse took pride in Senegal’s undefeated group stage campaign, saying: “We prepared well and let’s not forget we have 3 wins in 3 matches.”
After falling short of retaining their title in dramatic fashion, Cisse knows Senegal must pick themselves up and work to bounce back stronger.—Reporting by CAFonline
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