COTE D’IVOIRE recovered from a poor group phase campaign to beat Senegal in the round of 16 of the AFCON 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tonight in Yamoussoukro.
Regulation and extra-time ended 1-1, with the hosts edging out the champions 5-4 on penalties at a packed Stade Charles Konan Banny.
Habib Diallo fired Senegal into the lead in the fourth minute, powering home from a Sadio Mane cross.
The Teranga Lions were in control from kick-off and were well worth their lead, but Cote d’Ivoire soon grew into the game and were dominant for most of the first half.
The hosts, who were playing under a new coach in Emerse Fae after Jean-Louis Gasset was fired following the humiliating 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, continued to probe for the equaliser in the second half, controlling the game and laying a siege to the Senegal defence.
Their endeavour was rewarded with four minutes left of regulation time when Franck Kessie converted a penalty that was awarded for a foul on Nicolas Pepe by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
The contest was dragged into extra-time and eventually penalties as both sides failed to score the winner.
Cote d’Ivoire, who had squeezed into the round of 16 as one of the third-placed teams, converted all their five kicks while Moussa Niakhate missed Senegal’s third.
Earlier in the day in another round of 16 clash, Cape Verde defeated Mauritania 1-0 in Abijdan through Ryan Mendes’ 88th minute penalty.
In the quarter-finals, Cote d’Ivoire will on Saturday face the winners of the round of 16 tie between Mali and Burkina Faso, while Cape Verde await the winners of the Morocco, South Africa clash.
