* Friday, January 9: Mali vs Senegal (18h00); Cameroon vs Morocco (21h00)
* Saturday, January 10: Algeria vs Nigeria (18h00); Egypt vs Côte d’Ivoire (21:00)
Maravi Express
It’s only the continent’s heavyweights that are left standing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 for the quarterfinals — hosts Morocco, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire.
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On Friday, January 9, former champions and established contenders, Senegal are up against Mali (18h00) — in a West African derby before the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon facing hosts Morocco (21h00).
On Saturday, defending champions Cote d’Ivoire date record seven-time winners Egypt on Saturday (21:00) after the clash between Algeria and Nigeria (18h00).
The eight nations advanced to the quarters following the conclusion of an absorbing Round of 16, as Africa’s flagship football competition continues to serve mouthwatering clashes.
Egypt, the most successful nation in AfCON history, booked their place with a hard-fought extra-time victory over Benin, while holders Côte d’Ivoire maintained their title defence by overcoming Burkina Faso 3-0 to keep alive hopes of back-to-back crowns.
Hosts Morocco, buoyed by home support and their historic status as the first African nation to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final, edged past Tanzania to progress — while Senegal, who were crowned champions in 2021, extended their impressive consistency with victory over Sudan.
Mali continued their reputation as one of the tournament’s most resilient sides by defeating Tunisia on penalties despite spending large periods of the match with 10 men.
Nigeria underlined their attacking credentials with a commanding 4-0 win over Mozambique, inspired by a brace from Victor Osimhen, while Algeria required extra time to see off DR Congo — substitute Adil Boulbina striking late to secure progression.
Among the standout ties is a blockbuster meeting between Egypt, the tournament’s most successful nation with seven titles, and defending champions Côte d’Ivoire while hosts Morocco will face a stern test against Cameroon — five-time African champions, in what promises to be one of the tournament’s most intense quarter-finals.
Côte d’Ivoire
In the last two of the Round of 16 yesterday, substitute Adil Boulbina struck deep into extra time of a hard-fought 1–0 victory over DR Congo to send Algeria into the quarter-finals.
With penalties looming after a tense and goalless contest, Boulbina delivered the decisive moment in the 118th minute, just five minutes after coming off the bench when the forward cut inside from the right and curled a superb strike beyond goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, whose heroics had kept DR Congo level for much of the match.
The breakthrough finally separated two evenly matched sides who had cancelled each other out during regulation time and the early stages of extra time, in a contest defined by discipline, physicality and missed chances.
In the other encounter, Côte d’Ivoire’s quest for back-to-back AfCON titles gathered further momentum as the defending champions booked their place in the quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso.
Once again, Amad Diallo was at the heart of the Ivorian display. The Manchester United winger opened the scoring and provided an assist for the second goal, underlining his growing influence as Les Éléphantscontinue to prove that their triumph on home soil was no coincidence.
Côte d’Ivoire began the contest at a relentless tempo, immediately pushing Burkina Faso onto the back foot. Diallo and Yan Diomandé were constant threats in advanced areas, stretching the Burkinabè defence with pace and movement.
The breakthrough arrived in the 20th minute following sustained Ivorian pressure. A brief ping-pong between two Burkina Faso defenders inside the penalty area allowed Diallo to pounce inside the six-yard box, delicately chipping the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.
Twelve minutes later, Diallo turned provider with a moment of quality when he delivered a low, inviting cross across the face of goal for Diomandé, who took a composed first touch before drilling a low finish past the goalkeeper to double the advantage.
Burkina Faso came close to reducing the deficit just before the interval when Dango Ouattara surged down the right flank, but his low effort struck the post and rebounded safely into the goalkeeper’s arms.
The Stallions emerged with renewed intent after the break and enjoyed an improved spell, launching waves of attacks in search of a route back into the contest. However, they found an Ivorian backline in resolute mood, defending with discipline and composure.
Any lingering hopes of a comeback were extinguished three minutes from time. Breaking swiftly on the counter-attack, Ousmane Diomandé latched onto a precise pass from Odilon Kossounou before finishing confidently at the near post to seal the result.
With the outcome beyond doubt, Côte d’Ivoire calmly saw out the remaining minutes to secure a convincing victory and a well-earned place in the last eight.—Reporting by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
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