Nations Cup: Ivory Coast Stun Senegal To Book Quarter-finals Spot

Hosts country, Ivory Coast recorded a stunning 5-4 penalty shootout victory over defending champions, Senegal, to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2023 Nations Cup.

The regulation time and extra time ended 1-1 and the struggling hosts shocked the overwhelming favourites to advance.

Habib Diallo gave Senegal an early lead in the fourth minute when he turned it Saido Mane’s cross.

The first half ended 1-0 in favour of the defending champions and they started the second half with the intent to close out the game but Ismaila Sarr’s shot was parried by Ivory Coast goalkeeper, Fofana.

Odilon Kossounou brought down the lively Sarr in the 18-yard box, but VAR ruled that there was not enough contact to penalise Kossounou.

Ivory Coast brought on Sebastien Haller and Franck Kessie in a bid to get back into the game, and Haller’s bullet header was kept out by Edouard Mendy.

Substitute Nicolas Pepe was brought down in the box by Mendy, but the referee initially waved away the penalty call before he was sent to the VAR monitor to review the incident, and he eventually pointed to the spot.

Kessie scored from the spot to restore parity for Ivory Coast in the 86th minute to send the supporters into wild jubilations.

The extra time ended 1-1, and the game went into a penalty shootout.

Khalidou Koulibaly, Pape Matarr Sarr scored for Senegal while Nicolas Pepe and Christian Kouame also had success with their efforts.

Mousa Niakhite missed from the spot for Senegal before Sebastien Haller and Serge Aurier increased Ivory Coast’s advantage.

Bamba Dieng and Sadio Mane kept the shootout alive before Franck Kessie scored the winning penalty to send his country to the quarter-finals.

Senegal won all their three matches in the group stage while Ivory Coast struggled in the group stage, winning only once, but they qualified as one of the best losers.

Ivory Coast will play the winner between Mali and Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals on Saturday.