AFCON 2023: Ivory Coast Eliminates Senegal in a Penalty Shootout to Reach the Quarter-Finals
Hosts Ivory Coast have eliminated reigning champions, Senegal in a penalty shootout to book their place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-finals following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Yamoussoukro.
Franck Kessie, who had scored from the spot four minutes from the end of normal time, converted the winning penalty to seal an extraordinary victory for the hosts.
The elephants’ quarter-final on Saturday will pit them against Mali or Burkina Faso, who play their last-16 tie in Korhogo on Tuesday.
Also, a late Ryan Mendes penalty helped Cape Verde overcome Mauritania to book a place in the quarter-finals of the AFCON for just the second time.
The game looked set for extra-time until Cheick Elwely’s careless defensive header inadvertently played in Benchimol, who was brought down by goalkeeper Babacar Niasse.
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Captain Mendes did the rest, smashing his spot kick hard down the middle in the 88th minute.
The result sets up a quarter-final against either Morocco or South Africa on Saturday.
The 2015 champions trailed at half-time despite controlling play in a much-improved display on their sorry showing against Equatorial Guinea a week earlier when they suffered their heaviest-ever home defeat in a 4-0 trouncing.
Senegal started the second half as they had the first, Ismaila Sarr’s shot across goal forcing a fingertip save from the diving Yahia Fofana.
Winger Sarr was again at the heart of the action when he felt he had been brought down in the box by Odilon Kossounou, with a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check deciding there was not enough contact for a penalty to be given.
Ivory Coast’s interim coach Emerse Fae, an emergency appointment following the dismissal of Jean-Louis Gasset last week, brought on forward Sebastian Haller and midfielder Frank Kessie – and the latter made an immediate impact, having a header saved by Edouard Mendy before failing to capitalize on the rebound.
Another substitute, former Arsenal man Nicolas Pepe, also brought new energy to the hosts, running in behind on two occasions, only to shoot straight at Mendy.
