Late Drama and Shoot-Out Glory Send Mali Into AFCON Quarter-Finals

Late Drama and Shoot-Out Glory Send Mali Into AFCON Quarter-Finals

By Admin 

Goalkeeper Djigui Diarra emerged as the decisive figure as Mali defeated Tunisia 3–2 on penalties to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, following a dramatic 1–1 draw after extra time on Saturday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The tightly contested encounter at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca was settled only after a tense shoot-out, with Mali showing greater composure from the spot. The match itself had been marked by late drama, with Lassine Sinayoko’s stoppage-time penalty cancelling out Firat Chaouat’s late opener for Tunisia.

Tunisia suffered an early setback when defender Dylan Bronn was forced off through injury, while Mali’s task became significantly more difficult in the 27th minute after Wayo Coulibaly was shown a red card for a mistimed challenge on Hannibal Mejbri. Despite playing with a numerical advantage for more than an hour, Tunisia struggled to break down a resilient Malian side.

The first half ended goalless, with neither team able to establish clear dominance. Tunisia returned after the interval with increased attacking intent, but they were repeatedly denied by a disciplined Malian defence and a series of outstanding saves from Diarra.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 88th minute when Chaouat rose above the defence to head home Elias Saad’s cross, seemingly putting Tunisia on course for victory. However, deep into stoppage time, Mali were handed a lifeline when Yassine Meriah was penalised for handball in the area. Sinayoko kept his nerve to convert the resulting penalty in the 90+6th minute, forcing extra time.

Neither side managed to find a decisive goal during the additional 30 minutes, and the contest was ultimately settled by penalties. Mali converted three of their spot-kicks, while Diarra made crucial interventions as Tunisia managed only two successful efforts.

Mali will now face defending champions Senegal in the quarter-finals, after the Teranga Lions overcame Sudan earlier in the day.

Speaking after the match, Diarra, who was named TotalEnergies Man of the Match, said the team’s resilience was key to their success. Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi expressed disappointment at his side’s elimination, while Mali coach Tom Saintfiet praised his players’ discipline and belief, particularly after being reduced to ten men.