Mali kept their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 dream alive after holding their nerve to knock Tunisia out on penalties following a dramatic 1-1 draw after extra time at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.
The West Africans prevailed 3-2 in the shoot-out, booking a quarter-final showdown against defending champions Senegal.
The Round of 16 clash was a test of character for Mali, who were forced to play more than an hour with ten men after Wayo Coulibaly was sent off in the 27th minute for a mistimed challenge on Hannibal Mejbri.
Tunisia, however, failed to fully capitalise on their numerical advantage in a tense, physical contest that remained goalless at the break.
Tunisia pushed harder in the second half and thought they had finally broken Mali’s resistance in the 88th minute when Firat Chaouat powered home a header from Elias Saad’s cross.
With qualification in sight, the North Africans were undone deep into stoppage time when Yassine Meriah was penalised for handball inside the box.
Lassine Sinayoko stepped up and calmly converted the penalty in the 90+6th minute, scoring his third goal of the tournament and forcing extra time.
Neither side managed to find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, with Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra producing several key saves to keep his team in the contest.
The tie was eventually decided from the spot, where Mali showed greater composure to advance.
Diarra, who was named TotalEnergies Man of the Match, said the team drew strength from adversity.
“We knew it would be difficult, especially after the red card,” Diarra said. “We stayed united, listened to the coach and fought until the penalties. At that moment, we were thinking about the Malian people.”
Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi cut a dejected figure after the match, admitting responsibility for the defeat.
“We controlled the game, but after scoring, something incomprehensible happened,” Trabelsi said. “It is very painful to go out like this, especially when we were playing against ten men. The responsibility lies with me.”
Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet praised his players’ discipline and belief, insisting his side is not done yet.
“I told the players before the match that they are champions,” Saintfiet said. “After the red card, we stayed calm and played intelligently. Senegal will be favourites in the quarter-finals, just as Morocco and Tunisia were, but we have a clear objective: to stay in this competition.”
Mali will now turn their focus to a tough quarter-final clash against Senegal, who earlier defeated Sudan 3-1 to progress.
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