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AFCON 2023: Côte d’Ivoire eliminate Senegal on penalties – At a glance

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It’s all over for the 2021 African champions. After leading for 80 minutes, Senegal conceded an equaliser from the penalty spot in the 86th minute (1-1) before losing on penalties (5-4).

Côte d’Ivoire advances to the quarter-finals

Franck Kessié brings Côte d’Ivoire back to life. The midfielder, who started the match on the bench, saw his team concede a superb goal from Habib Diallo in the 3rd minute. After coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute, he converted a penalty awarded by Nicolas Pépé with four minutes of normal time remaining. He converted it to level the scores (1-1, 86th). It has to be said that the Lions, after taking the lead very early on, left the ball to Côte d’Ivoire. A little too much so.

The Ivorians grew in confidence and forced Senegal to play very low. The Lions could perhaps have benefited from a penalty after Odilon Kossounou fouled Ismalia Sarr but the referee and VAR deemed that the Ivorian defender’s push was not obvious enough.

Both teams ended regulation time 1-1. In extra time, the configuration remains unchanged. The Elephants hold on to the ball, and the Lions try to scrape them away to hurt in transition. But their actions were very disjointed. Nothing more was scored in this encounter.

Having qualified in extremis for the Round of 8 after finishing fourth-best third in the group stage, Côte d’Ivoire will be clinical in the penalty shoot-out. The Ivorians converted all five of their attempts, while Senegal’s Moussa Niakhaté missed the third. The Elephants thus eliminated the Lions (1-1, tab 5-4). The African champions had dominated the group phase.But as is the case every time they cross paths with the host country, they packed their bags.

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