With a goal in the 122nd minute by Oumar Diakite, the host nation of Ivory Coast pulled off another incredible Africa Cup of Nations comeback, sending the 10-man Elephants into the semi-finals at the expense of a devastated Mali.
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Due to Odilon Kossounou’s punishment for two first-half fouls on Lassine Sinayoko, the hosts were outnumbered for most of the game and trailed by a sophisticated curler from Nene Dorgeles.
However, Simon Adringa’s opportunistic finish brought the Elephants level just after the hour, and Diakite’s deft play with the final kick of extra time gave them the victory after distorting Seko Fofana’s attempt.
Diakite, nevertheless, had mixed feelings as he exited the pitch because he will be suspended for Wednesday’s semi-final matchup against DR Congo (20:00 GMT) after receiving a second yellow card for taking off his shirt in celebration.
After losing against Equatorial Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire will quit the AFCON. The coach of Cote d’Ivoire believes Nigeria is physically superior.
At the final whistle, there were some unsavoury scenes when Hamari Traore was sent off for taking his protests too far, and many Mali players surrounded referee Mohamed Adel, arguing with the official.
