Côte D’Ivoire Dumps Senegal, Cape Verde Defeats Mauritania, Both Zoom Into AFCON Q’finals

Host Ivory Coast has eliminated the defending champions, Senegal, from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations after defeating them 5-4 on penalties after full and extension time saw both teams drew 1-1.

Senegal’s Habib Diallo scored after four minutes but Ivorian substitute Franck Kessie equalised off a penalty four minutes from the end of regular time in Yamoussoukro.

The former Barcelona midfielder, Kessie was the shootout hero again, converting the decisive kick to send The Elephants to the quarter-finals.

A humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea last Monday did not dampen support for the host nation with supporters queueing from the middle of the night to buy tickets in the central city.

Senegal comfortably beat the Gambia, Cameroon, and Guinea to top Group D, and were the only section winners to progress having secured a maximum of nine points.

Ivory Coast managed only three points after also losing to Nigeria and had a minus-three goal difference but still squeezed through as the last of the four best third-placed countries.

Also, dark horses, Cape Verde have beaten Mauritania 1-0 to qualify for the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.

Ryan Mendes’ 88th-minute penalty was the difference as the Blue Sharks, who have been one of the surprise packages of the tournament, stunned a cross-section of Mauritania fans at the Felix Houphourt-Boigny, Abidjan.

The tiny Atlantic Ocean island nation had got out of their group in two of their three previous appearances at the AFCON but had never before won a knockout tie.

Mauritania had been hoping to extend their fine run in Ivory Coast, after they won a Cup of Nations match for the first time in nine attempts in their last group game, beating Algeria to eliminate one of the continent’s powerhouses.

They were awarded a penalty when substitute Gilson Tavares Benchimol was brought down in the box by Niasse after intercepting a poor header back from Mauritania defender Yassin El Welly.

The Egyptian referee pointed to the spot, and Mendes, of Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, smashed home the penalty, his second goal of the tournament making history for his country.
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