Defending champions Senegal booted out of AFCON

Ivory Coast rebounded from a disappointing group stage performance to secure a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout victory over defending champions Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) last-16 clash on Monday. The win earned the hosts a spot in the quarterfinals, where they will face either Mali or Burkina Faso.

The encounter in Yamoussoukro concluded 1-1 after extra time, with Habib Diallo opening the scoring for Senegal after four minutes and Franck Kessie equalising from the penalty spot four minutes before the end of regular time.

The shootout hero for Ivory Coast was Kessie, who calmly converted the decisive kick after Senegal’s Moussa Niakhate struck the post with the third penalty. The triumph came as a welcome relief for the host nation, which had suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea in the group stage.

The defeat to Equatorial Guinea led to the dismissal of French coach Jean-Louis Gasset. Despite unsuccessful attempts to reappoint former coach Herve Renard, Ivory Coast promoted assistant coach Emerse Fae to take charge.

The contrast between the two teams in the knockout stage was evident, with Senegal comfortably topping Group D by defeating the Gambia, Cameroon, and Guinea, securing a perfect nine points. In contrast, Ivory Coast managed only three points and had a minus-three goal difference, narrowly advancing as the last of the four best third-placed teams.

Fae made strategic changes to the Ivory Coast lineup, introducing Serge Aurier, Odilon Kossounou, Jean Michael Seri, Max-Alain Gradel, and Jean-Philippe Krasso. Senegal also made adjustments, with Moussa Niakhate, Abdou Diallo, and Lamine Camara entering the starting lineup.

Despite conceding an early goal, Ivory Coast displayed resilience and gradually took control of the match. Senegal, the defending champions, struggled to increase their lead, and the first half concluded with the score at 1-0.

As the match progressed, Ivory Coast maintained possession, but Senegal remained dangerous on the counterattack. The breakthrough for Ivory Coast came in the 86th minute when Mendy fouled Pepe, resulting in a VAR-awarded penalty that Kessie converted. Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy made a crucial save from substitute Nicolas Pepe.

The match extended into extra time, with Senegal’s Sadio Mane missing a chance just before halftime. The tense encounter eventually went to a penalty shootout, where Ivory Coast emerged victorious, setting the stage for a quarter-final showdown in the AFCON.

Mimi Mefo Info