A back-heel goal by Oumar Diakite in added time at the end of extra time gave hosts Côte d’Ivoire a 2-1 win over Mali in Bouake on Saturday after a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal.
Reduced to 10 men by a red card at the end of the first half, the Ivorians fell behind in the second half to a Nene Dorgeles goal only for Simon Adingra to equalise in the 90th minute.
The result marked another upward turn for the Côte d’Ivoire in a roller coaster AFCON campaign in which they scraped into the knockout stage after a 4-0 hiding from Equatorial Guinea.
It was a heartbreaking outcome for Mali, who dominated for long periods and, despite missing a penalty, seemed set to maintain a record of never losing a Cup of Nations quarterfinal.
