Ivory Coast defeated Mali 2-1 after extra time to book their spot in the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations but had to do so by finishing the game with nine men while the Malians were down to 10 men.
The Eagles got the better of neighbours Burkina Faso in the round of 16 while the Elephants knocked out reigning champions Senegal via penalties.
The first notable moment in the match came in the eighth minute when there were multiple handball incidents that happened simultaneously in the box. It required VAR intervention for more than five minutes which ultimately decided there was no penalty.
Odilon Kossounou, who was involved in the earlier handball dilemma, was adjudged to have brought down an opposition player in the box not long after and this time, Mali were given a penalty. Hull City midfielder Adama Traore however missed with Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana saving the ball with ease.
Kossounou was given his marching orders in the 43rd minute for a clumsy foul which produced a second yellow card. Traore tried to atone for his penalty miss with the resultant free kick but his effort narrowly missed the post.
The Ivorians were able to keep the Malians at bay until the 71st minute when Dorgeles Nene unleashed a screamer from distance that gave Fofana no chance of stopping.
Just when it seemed Mali were through to the semi-finals, the Ivorians equalised in the 90th minute thanks to Brighton winger Simon Adingra who was well positioned to to tuck the ball in from an attacking move he was involved in the build up.
Oumar Diakite would have the final say deep in extra time by taking a touch on Seko Fofana’s shot from outside the box.
The game ended with both sides having a player sent off, Hamari Traore receiving a straight red card while Diakite received a second yellow card.
SAFETY FOR THE HOST.
Diakitie's late strike comes to the rescue of 9 men Ivorian team????, as they take a step further into LAST 4.????Mali???????? 1-2 ????????Ivory Coast#Afrosport #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 #MLICIV pic.twitter.com/lH3tL1WDjB
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) February 3, 2024
Emerse Fae’s will get to face DR Congo in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
That Kossounou guy deserves a hot slap from me lol