After a penalty shootout with Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal was knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations
The Côte d'Ivoire national team stunned their country on penalties following a last-minute lineup change in the group stage, defeating the defending champions Senegal. Other than that, Mauritania lost to Cape Verde in the quarterfinals. As far as the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations is concerned, the most astounding outcome to far was yesterday night's game at Yamoussoukro's Charles Conan Bunny Stadium. After a penalty shootout with the defending champions Senegal, the hosts Côte d'Ivoire prevailed, with the help of a goal from Franck Kessier, a former AC Milan player. Meanwhile, the Cape Verde Blue Sharks kept rolling by defeating Mauritania 1-0 in their opposing encounter. Ryan Mendes scored the game-winning penalty in the 88th minute.Here we go again with a detailed recap of yesterday's two matches before we get into today's last two rounds of sixteen matchups.
Progress to the quarterfinals for Cote d'Ivoire as Senegal is ousted
Under the guidance of interim coach Emers Fahe, Côte d'Ivoire was tasked with defeating Senegal, the reigning champions, following the decision to fire the previous coach at the end of the groups without waiting for the final verdict. This move allowed the Elefants to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. The Elefants' fans were also instrumental in this endeavor. Bad things start happening right away in the fourth minute as Diallo catches Mane and kicks extremely hard with his left foot, piercing Fofana's hands and putting the game to 1-0. A anxious Sadio Mane launched a heavy assault on Sangare moments after the game started, leading to a yellow card that may have been given for a different reason. You can get every piece of insider sports news and commentary on the Azscore website. Azscores.com | live matches. Nevertheless, Côte d'Ivoire held firm, the Elefants continued playing, and the match's languid pace abruptly reversed in the 74th minute upon Franck Kessier's substitution. Even though Pepe and Haller, who were both formerly with AC Milan, give it their all, Senegal end up losing. Just nine minutes before halftime, the Ivorians are given a penalty—not from the referee's whistle, but from a corrected WAR—because Mendy knocks down Pepe, who is then flung towards the goal. With a decisive move, Kessie takes the position and evens the score. Since the game was postponed in extra time due to apparent desire by both sides to go to penalties, it was the final outcome. Each team's first two penalty takers score; Senegal's Niakhate hits the crossbar with the third; Côte d'Ivoire's Koulibaly is faultless; and Kessie, in the latter moments - his tenure, will seal the deal with a goal and a sentencing. Round of 16 is next for the Elephants.
The national squad from Cape Verde is assaulting Mauritania, and it's working
Go, go, go! Cape Verde pounces on Mauritania right away; the plan for the Blue Sharks is crystal clear: bite the victim, narrow the score fast, and relax in the second half. But the Mourabitounes, aided by Koyta and Anna, almost scored a goal despite the impenetrable barricade they set up. Although Leao Britou's team had over half of the ball possession and over fifteen attempts on goal in the last ten minutes of the encounter, the score remained 0-0. For Mauritania, the ultimate goal is to force a penalty shootout so they can treat the game like a lottery. Still, the aspirations persist, as goalie Niasse concedes a penalty in the 85th minute when Cheikh attempted an avoidable back pass but was intercepted by Benchimol, a striker from Cape Verde, inside the penalty area. Despite his literacy issues, captain Ryan Mendes takes the reins and defeats Niasse with a powerful strike from midfield. With 10 minutes of extra time remaining and Mauritania unable to equalize, the Blue Sharks go to the quarterfinals for the second time in their history. Cape Verde tightens the score.
