Cote d'Ivoire stun holders Senegal in shootout to reach quarter-finals
Hosts Cote d'Ivoire pulled off a monumental upset by defeating defending champions Senegal 5-4 on penalties after extra time to advance to the TotalEneriges CAF Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.
In front of a raucous home crowd at the Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro, Senegal made a blistering start and took the lead just 4 minutes in.
A superb cross from Sadio Mane found Habib Diallo, who calmly chested the ball down before firing a rocket into the top corner.
Stunned by conceding so early, the hosts gradually grew into the game with neat interplay in midfield between Franck Kessie and Jean Michael Seri.
Ibrahim Sangare posed a constant threat on the wing while strikers Sebastien Haller and Nicolas Pepe stretched Senegal's defence.
The Elephants had the better of the first half but despite several near misses, a Senegalese wall of Kalidou Koulibaly and Abdou Diallo repelled everything thrown at them. 0-1 at halftime.
Senegal almost doubled their lead early in the second half when a speculative Ismaila Sarr effort forced a fingertip save. But Cote d'Ivoire were unfazed and continued pressing.
The game turned on a pivotal 86th minute moment. Pepe burst into the box and was clumsily brought down by Edouard Mendy.
After VAR reviewed the incident, Franck Kessie coolly sent Mendy the wrong way from the spot to equalize and send the home crowd into ecstasy.
In extra time, chances came and went for both sides but the scores remained level. In the shootout, each side netted their first 4 penalties. But when Kalifa Coulibaly's effort came off the upright, Kessie stepped up to smash home the winning kick, capping a remarkable turnaround for the hosts.
After a disastrous group stage, Cote d'Ivoire showed tremendous resilience and spirit to dethrone Senegal, who will have to relinquish their title. The Elephants march on, redemption complete.
Few gave the Elephants hope coming into this last 16 clash against star-studded Senegal.
But led by captain Serge Aurier, the spirited hosts fought until the end and rode their luck at times against profligate opponents.
This result blows the tournament wide open. The defending champions are out, and the unfancied hosts march on in dramatic style.
Emerse Fae, Coach of the Cote d'Ivoire National Team
"We had a difficult start to the match; we conceded an early goal, and as I mentioned before the match, against a team like Senegal, anything can happen. At halftime, I told the players that they should continue playing the same way, not get confused.
"I communicated with my staff during the match, and in the end, it was my decision on what needed to be done, which was different from the previous coach, Gasset, where I would give an opinion, and he would make the decision.
"There was a lot of pressure before the match, and the match day was too long for me. I couldn't nap as usual; I was thinking about all the scenarios, and if I said there was no pressure, I would be lying.
"Qualifying from the group stage after Morocco's victory gave us confidence. We beat Senegal and eliminated them; morale is good. We must not stop here; we must continue working, maintain the morale we have gained, and keep playing match by match."
Aliou Cissé, Coach of Senegal
"I am disappointed after this result, especially for our players. We came here to win the title and play for our people. That's football; in 2022, we were happy, and in 2024, the opposite is happening. Sorry to our players and to the Senegalese people. It's tough to see the players cry in the locker room.
The match was strange and complicated; we could have won the game. We lost on penalties; we kept our lead until the last 5 minutes of the match.
I am disappointed after this defeat, especially after the performance we put in during the match and from the first match of the competition.
We need to make changes after this defeat; we'll see what happens in the future. There is sorrow, and our players are sad, as is the Senegalese people.
We prepared well for this competition, and let's not forget we have 3 wins in 3 matches in the group stage."