10-Man Mali Edge Tunisia in Shootouts to Reach Q’finals

•Gueye double fires Senegal through also

Ten-man Mali defeated Tunisia 3-2 in penalty shootouts last night to advance to the quarter finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Regulation and added time had deadlocked 1-1 after 120 minutes for the game to drag into penalty shootouts.

But it was the men from Bamako, playing with one man short that triumphed in the lottery game of penalties.

Mali’s troubles began early. In the 26th minute, Woyo Coulibaly was sent off with a red card, forcing the team to play with 10 men for over 90 minutes. Despite the setback, Mali held their ground and even dominated possession, finishing with 72% of the ball.

Tunisia took the lead in the 88th minute through Firas Chaouat, who headed in a cross from Elias Saad. But Mali responded quickly. In added time, Yassine Meriah conceded a penalty with a handball, and Lassine Sinayoko converted from the spot in the 90+6 minute to level the score.

The match went to penalties, where both teams struggled. Mali missed two of their first three attempts, while Tunisia failed to convert three of theirs. El Bilal Touré scored the decisive penalty to send Mali through.

Elsewhere, Pape Gueye of Villarreal in the Spanish LaLiga scored two goals as Senegal came from behind to beat Sudan 3-1 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), ending their opponents’ stirring run played out against the backdrop of the country’s ongoing civil war.

Aamir Abdallah’s stunning opener, curled across the diving Edouard Mendy in the sixth minute, briefly allowed Sudanese fans to dream of a huge upset in Tangier.

Mendy was then forced into an excellent stop low to his right from Mohamed Eisa’s angled shot midway through the first half before Senegal, driven on by the incessant drumming of their fans, slowly began to turn the screw.