Ivory Coast, the hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, caused a major upset on Monday by eliminating Senegal, the reigning champions, in the last 16 through a penalty shootout. This victory keeps Ivory Coast's aspirations of winning the title on home soil alive. Despite facing the possibility of an early exit during the group stage just a week ago, they secured a spot in the quarter-finals by defeating Senegal 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time.
Entering the knockout phase with the least impressive record among the four best third-placed teams, Ivory Coast had experienced a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, their most significant home loss. Following this setback, they dismissed veteran French coach Jean-Louis Gasset and attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to bring back former manager Herve Renard on a short-term basis. Ultimately, Emerse Fae, a former player, took over on an interim basis, aiming to inspire a team that seemed shaken for a challenging encounter against the titleholders.
The match in Yamoussoukro appeared daunting for Ivory Coast as Senegal took an early lead in the fourth minute when Habib Diallo converted Sadio Mane's cross. Mane received a yellow card for a risky challenge on Ibrahim Sangare, but Senegal also felt aggrieved in the second half when Ismaila Sarr went down in the box without a penalty being awarded after a clash with Odilon Kossounou.
In a turn of events, Ivory Coast earned a late penalty through a VAR review, revealing that Nicolas Pepe was fouled by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Franck Kessie, initially benched, converted the penalty to force extra time. With no further goals, the match went to penalties, and Senegal's Moussa Niakhate missed his kick, hitting the post. Kessie then scored the decisive penalty, securing Ivory Coast's place in the quarter-finals against Mali or Burkina Faso in Bouake on Saturday. /BGNES
