In a remarkable display of resilience, Ivory Coast orchestrated a stunning extra-time comeback against Mali, clinching a 2-1 victory on Saturday evening despite playing with a numerical disadvantage.
The opening half was marred by chaos, with Sikou Niakate’s handball penalty appeal denied due to an offside call, and Odilon Kossouna conceding a penalty for a foul on Lassine Sinayoko, only for Adama Traore to falter in the execution.
The tension escalated just before halftime when Sinayoko drew a desperate foul from Kossouno, resulting in a red card for the Ivory Coast player. As the weakened side battled fatigue, Nene seized an opportunity to unleash a brilliant 30-yard strike, giving Ivory Coast the lead. However, with the game on the brink of conclusion, Simon Adingra managed to poke in an injury-time equalizer.
With no breakthrough in regular extra time, the match appeared destined for penalties until Oumar Diakite delivered a knockout blow in added time of extra time.
It’s worth recalling that Ivory Coast had entered the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed finishers, overcoming a 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea. They reignited their campaign by triumphing over defending champions Senegal in the round of 16, securing victory through post-match penalties.
