In the Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal lost to Côte d'Ivoire in a penalty shootout
After a last-minute lineup change in the group stage, Côte d'Ivoire stunned their country by advancing to the penalty shootout and defeating defending champions Senegal. The other quarterfinal saw Cape Verde triumph against Mauritania. What transpired last night in Yamoussoukro's Charles Conan Bunny Stadium in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations remains the most astounding outcome ever seen. Franck Kessier, a former player for AC Milan, scored the game-winning penalty that gave hosts Côte d'Ivoire the victory in a penalty shootout against defending champions Senegal. Meanwhile, the Cape Verde Blue Sharks kept rolling by defeating Mauritania 1-0 in their other encounter. Ryan Mendes scored the game-winning penalty in the 88th minute.The last two rounds of the round of sixteen begin today, but before we get into that, let's review yesterday's two matches thoroughly.
With Senegal's elimination, Cote d'Ivoire moves on to the quarterfinals
After the decision to fire the previous coach at the end of the groups was made without waiting for the final verdict, Côte d'Ivoire, led by interim coach Emers Fahe and inspired by their fans, were given the daunting task of defeating Senegal, the reigning champions. The game takes a tragic turn in the fourth minute when Diallo intercepts Mane and scores a goal with a powerful left foot strike that goes straight through Fofana's hands. A few minutes later, a worried Sadio Mane launched a heavy assault on Sangare, earning him a yellow card that might have been given on a different note. The Azscore azscore.com website has every piece of insider sports news and commentary. But the Elefants persisted, Côte d'Ivoire believed it, and the match's sluggish pace abruptly reversed in the 74th minute when Franck Kessier entered the game from the bench. Senegal lose despite Haller's and Pepe's best efforts; they were both formerly players for AC Milan. Not a whistle from the referee, but a corrected WAR: 9 minutes left in the game, Mendy pulls down Pepe, who is then shoved towards the goal, definitely giving the Ivorians a penalty. Kessie steps up to the plate, shows no hesitation, and evens the score. The action is stopped in extra time because it seems both sides are aiming for a penalty shootout, and that's how it finishes. The first two penalty takers for each side score; Senegal's third attempt by Niakhate misses the crossbar; Côte d'Ivoire's fourth penalty is spot on; and Kessie, who will cap off his night in office, will score and throw the ball into the net for the deciding penalty, the fifth. Proceeding to the quarterfinals, the Elephants made it.
A successful assault by the Cape Verde national team against Mauritania
Get ready, because Cape Verde is launching an instant assault on Mauritania. The plan, as envisioned by the Blue Sharks, is to pounce on their target as soon as possible, score as soon as possible, and then relax for the rest of the half. However, the Mourabitounes managed to construct an impenetrable barrier and came dangerously close to scoring with Koyta and Anna. In the last ten minutes of the contest, Leao Britou's team had seventy percent possession and more than fifteen shots on goal, but the result remained 0-0. Mauritania hopes to treat the match like a lottery by extending it to extra time or, even better, a penalty shootout. However, the aspiration persists as a penalty is awarded in the 85th minute as goalkeeper Niasse brings down Cape Verde forward Benchimol inside the penalty area after the latter attempted an avoidable back pass. The captain, Ryan Mendes, takes charge and defeats Niasse with a powerful center kick—despite his literacy deficit. After 10 minutes of extra time, the Blue Sharks go to the quarterfinals for the second time in their history as Cape Verde seals the deal and Mauritania is unable to equalize.
