Ivory Coast eliminated defending champions Senegal on penalties and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament as hosts. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, and Ivory Coast won 5-4 on penalties.
The game was held at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Ivory Coast, and it was a closely contested match between two strong teams. Habib Diallo scored the opening goal for Senegal in the fourth minute, but Franck Kessie equalized for Ivory Coast with a penalty in the 86th minute. After extra time, the game was settled by spot kicks, with Kessie netting the decisive blow.
Sadio Mane squandered a golden chance to double Senegal’s lead just prior to the Ivory Coast’s equaliser, which came after referee Pierre Ghislain Atcho overturned his decision not to penalise Edouard Mendy for a foul on Nicolas Pepe.
Franck Kessie was the Ivory Coast’s hero from the bench as his composure from the penalty spot saw the Africa Cup of Nations hosts beat reigning champions Senegal 5-4 in a shoot-out following a 1-1 draw in Monday’s last-16 tie.
The Africa Cup of Nations has been a tournament of surprises, and the 2023 edition was no exception. Since Egypt’s victory in 2010, no defending champion has managed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament. The curse continued in 2012 when Egypt failed to qualify for the tournament, and it has persisted ever since. In 2013, Zambia was eliminated in the group stage, while Nigeria suffered the same fate in 2015. In 2017, Ivory Coast was knocked out in the group stage, while Cameroon was eliminated in the last 16 in 2019. The trend continued in 2021 when Algeria was eliminated in the group stage, and in 2023, Senegal suffered a similar fate.
It remains to be seen whether the curse will be broken in the next edition of the tournament. However, one thing is certain: the Africa Cup of Nations is always full of surprises and never fails to entertain football fans around the world.
