The Mali U-23 national team have secured the U-23 AFCON bronze medal, seeing off Guinea 4-3 on penalties after the game ended goalless in regular time.
Nothing could separate both sides who were gunning for the final automatic qualification spot for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in 90 minutes and off it went to the shootout.
Issoufi Maiga missed Mali’s first penalty before Aguibou Camara missed Guinea’s second spot kick to level the shootout.
More agony followed the Syl Nationale as Seydouba Cisse missed the fifth penalty, leaving Mohamadou Bah to win it for Mali which he did.
Meet your 2023 #TotalEnergiesAFCONU23 bronze medalists:
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— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU23 ???? (@CAF_Online) July 7, 2023
Mali have therefore joined Morocco and Egypt on the plane to Paris next year. The two North giants will however battle it out in Rabat on Saturday night to determine the winner of U-23 AFCON, the Atlas Lions gunning for a first title while the Pharaohs are looking to retain the title they won in 2019.
For Guinea, there is still hope of making it to the Paris Olympics but they will have to contest in a playoff with the team that finishes fourth at the 2024 U-23 AFC Asian Cup.
