CAF U17 AFCON: Mali Edge Tunisia To Book Semi-final Clash With Burkina Faso

CAF U17 AFCON: Mali Edge Tunisia To Book Semi-final Clash With Burkina Faso

By Admin

Mali booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations after overcoming Tunisia in a dramatic 10-9 penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time on Friday evening at Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi in El Jadida.

The highly competitive encounter saw both teams push to the limit, but it was Mali who held their nerve from the spot to seal a spot in the last four of the continental showpiece.

Seydou Dembélé gave Mali the lead in the 42nd minute, finishing a flowing move with a clinical strike into the top corner.

The West Africans dominated large spells of the first half, pressing high and creating several chances through Dembélé and Soumaila Fané.

Tunisia came out stronger after the break and were eventually rewarded for their persistence in the 79th minute when Anisse Saidi unleashed a powerful low strike from distance to draw the North Africans level.

With the score tied at 1-1 at full-time, the match headed straight to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.

The shootout turned into a marathon, with both teams converting pressure-filled spot kicks in an extraordinary display of composure.

After 19 successful attempts, the decisive moment came when Tunisia’s Slim Bouaskar saw his penalty saved by Mali’s goalkeeper. Cheick Diarra then calmly slotted home to send Mali into the semi-finals, sparking jubilant scenes on the pitch.

Mali’s progress marks yet another step in their consistent U-17 AFCON pedigree, with the West African nation continuing to showcase their depth of talent at youth level.

Mali will now face Burkina Faso in the semi-finals, with their sights firmly set on claiming a third U-17 title following previous triumphs in 2015 and 2017.

Tunisia, despite a gallant effort, exit the tournament with heads held high after pushing one of Africa’s most formidable youth sides all the way.