Senegal and Mali reach AFCON quarterfinals
Senegal and Mali on Saturday qualified for the quarter-finals of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. While Senegal came from behind to ease past Sudan 3-1 and book their place, Mali on its part used a 10-man squad to eliminate Tunisia on penalties. Former champions Senegal will face Mali in the quarterfinals.
Pape Gueye scored twice for Seneral, and teenager Ibrahim Mbaye grabbed the winner four minutes after coming off the bench to clinch a 3-1 victory for Senegal over Sudan in Tangier in the first Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match.
Rattled by an early Aamir Abdallah goal for Sudan on Saturday, Senegal recovered to lead 2-1 at half-time through Pape Gueye’s goals.
Former champions Senegal will face Mali or Tunisia, who meet in Casablanca later on Saturday, in the quarterfinals.
It was predicable result as Senegal are 99 places higher in the world rankings than Sudan, who were representing a country ravaged by civil war since April 2023.
Senegal made six changes to the team that started a 3-0 win over Botswana in their final group match. A notable absentee was suspended captain and centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
Ghana-born Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah retained only one of the team that began a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso – forward Abdallah.
It was the first meeting of the countries at an AFCON tournament. They were in the same 2026 World Cup qualifying group, though, with Senegal winning at home and drawing away.
Sudan rocked Senegal by taking a sixth-minute lead through Abdallah, a semi-professional who plays for an Australian second-tier club in Melbourne.
It was a superb goal as the Sudan striker took possession just inside the area and curled the ball over former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and into the net.
Mbaye then put the outcome beyond doubt after 77 minutes.
Ten-man Mali beat Tunisia on penalties to book AFCON quarterfinal place
Mali won a penalty shootout after a 1-1 last-16 draw.
El Bilal Toure scored the winning spot-kick as a 10-man Mali beat Tunisia 3-2 on penalties to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals after their last-16 tie had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.
It looked as if Tunisia had got the job done on Saturday against a Mali side forced to play most of the game a man down when substitute Firas Chaouat headed the Carthage Eagles in front in the 88th minute.
Mali had defender Woyo Coulibaly sent off in the 26th minute at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, but earned a reprieve when they were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.
Lassine Sinayoko converted from the spot to take the tie to extra time and, eventually, on to the decisive shootout.
Captain Yves Bissouma, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, blazed Mali’s first kick over the bar, but Ali Abdi then missed for Tunisia before Eagles goalkeeper Djigui Diarra saved two further penalties and Toure won it.
Tom Saintfiet’s Mali advanced to a quarterfinal next Friday in Tangier against West African neighbours Senegal, after the 2022 champions came from behind to beat Sudan 3-1 earlier.
Mali have never won the Cup of Nations, and their prospects here were not helped when right-back Coulibaly, currently based in Italy’s Serie A with Sassuolo, was shown a straight red card for raking his studs down the back of Hannibal Mejbri’s calf.
Yet, the game remained goalless and extra time was looming when Tunisia finally made their numerical superiority count as Elias Saad flighted a ball into the box and Club Africain striker Chaouat stole a march on his marker to head home.
