Sports

Senegal vs Ivory Coast: Lions of Teranga knocked out of AFCON

Published

3 months ago

January 30, 2024

Reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal have been eliminated at the last-16 stage of the competition following a penalty shootout defeat to hosts Ivory Coast..

The contest finished 1-1 after extra-time before Ivory Coast progressed 5-4 on penalties.

Ivory Coast had only scraped through to the last 16, relying on results elsewhere in the final round of group games to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

Senegal, meanwhile, won three of three in the group and scored eight goals, conceding only once.

Habib Diallo had given Senegal the lead inside four minutes at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium.

Ivory Coast levelled with four minutes remaining through a Franck Kessie penalty to force extra time, after VAR awarded a spot kick following an Edouard Mendy foul on Nicolas Pepe.

Kessie then scored the decisive penalty in the shootout to send the hosts through, capitalising on Moussa Niakhate’s missed spot kick.

Ivory Coast sacked their coach Jean-Louis Gasset less than a week ago, two days after they were thrashed 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea. It was the heaviest home defeat in Ivory Coast history. Emerse Fae is leading the team on an interim basis and this was his first match in charge of a senior team.

Senegal won AFCON two years ago for the first time in their history with a penalty shootout victory over Egypt in the final.

Ivory Coast will play the winner of Tuesday’s fixture between Mali and Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals.