Mali 1-1 Tunisia (3-2 on pens): Report as 10-man Eagles progress to AFCON quarter-finals
Mali will face Senegal in the quarter-finals.
Mali achieved a surprising victory over Tunisia in the Africa Cup of Nations, winning their last-16 match through a penalty shootout despite competing for a significant portion of the game with only 10 players.
Tunisia were expected to advance to the last eight and set up a clash with Senegal, who triumphed over Sudan 3-1 earlier on Saturday.
Entering the contest, they had not won any of their four previous AFCON encounters with Mali, but their chances soared following Woyo Coulibaly’s dismissal for a reckless tackle on Hannibal Mejbri in the 26th minute.
Despite having the numerical advantage, Tunisia found it challenging to capitalize, with neither team registering a shot on target until the 78th minute in a match that lacked flair.
It appeared that Tunisia had secured a spot in the quarter-finals when Firas Chaouat scored with a header to give them an 88th-minute lead.
However, a dramatic turn occurred in injury time when Yassine Meriah was deemed to have handled the ball in the area, allowing Mali star Lassine Sinayoko to level the score from the penalty spot.
He successfully converted, marking his third goal of the tournament, while Tunisia was unable to breach the Mali defense again during the following 30 minutes of extra time.
In the penalty shootout, Tunisia relinquished their advantage twice, and a miss from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane with their fifth kick allowed Bilal Toure to clinch a historic victory for the Eagles in Casablanca.
Published: 2026-01-03 22:11:00
source: www.101greatgoals.com
