Hosts Ivory Coast beat defending champs Senegal
It’s party time in Ivory Coast. Frank Kessié scored the winning penalty for the hosts to knock out defending champion Senegal from the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 in a penalty shootout yesterday.
It was Kessié’s second successful spot kick of the match after going on as a substitute to equalise for 1-1 in regular time with his 86thminute penalty in Yamoussoukro.
Senegal defender Moussa Niakhaté missed the titleholder’s third penalty in the shootout. All five of the hosts’ penalty takers scored to win 5-4 and set off joyful celebrations in Charles Konan Banny Stadium and beyond. Players danced on the field, and supporters danced in the stands.
Street parties broke out in Abidjan, where car drivers honked their horns and football fans danced, cheered and blew loud vuvuzelas. Fans watching the game on large screens in Treichville, Abidjan, screamed, jumped up and down, and hugged each other. Some ran for the sake of running. Some cried tears of joy. Others shook plastic chairs above their heads.
The hosts got off to a bad start when Habib Diallo took Sadio Mané’s speculative cross on his chest and fired the ball inside the top left corner in the fourth minute.
Mané was booked shortly afterwards for a studs-up tackle on Ibrahim Sangaré, and TV replays showed he was fortunate to receive just a yellow card.
The Elephants pushed hard for an equaliser with Seko Fofana leading the charge, but they lacked a Didier Drogba-type striker to really cause problems for the excellent Senegalese defence.
The hosts got their break when Senegal’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy conceded a late penalty for missing the ball and bringing down Nicolas Pépé. Referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho initially felt no foul but changed his mind after a VAR check. Kessié scored from the spot to keep the Elephants in the tournament.
Ivory Coast barely qualified for the knockout round, thanks only to results in other groups. They also fired their coach and tried unsuccessfully to hire another.
Interim coach Emerse Faé, a former Ivory Coast midfielder, got off to a good start.
“Given where we come from, conceding this very early goal could have sunk us. My players reacted well,” Faé said.
BLUE SHARKS PROGRESS
Meanwhile, Ryan Mendes scored a late penalty for Cape Verde to make the quarterfinals after topping Mauritania 1-0.
Mendes scored from the spot in the 88th minute after Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse brought down substitute Gilson Benchimol, who was through on goal after a defensive mistake.
It was Mauritania’s first-ever Africa Cup game in the knockout stage. The Lions of Chinguetti defeated Algeria 1-0 last week for their first-ever win on their third appearance in the tournament.
Cape Verde made a better start but failed to really trouble Niasse.