From our special correspondent in Bouaké – Ivory Coast once again brought its supporters through all states on Saturday in the quarter-finals of CAN 2024. Trailing and reduced to 10, the Elephants snatched the extension on the gong in Mali, before winning the match at the last minute (2-1).
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This Ivory Coast has character. Given up for dead on the evening of their humiliation against Equatorial Guinea, the Elephants once again showed that they possessed an extraordinary mentality to snatch a place in the last four. Mali, who nevertheless controlled their match, paid the price in overtime (2-1).
“Impossible is not Ivorian,” the locals have been repeating since Emerse Fae took over the selection. The supporters also met in Bouaké to support their Elephants. President Alassane Ouattara himself made the trip.
If the stadium is orange and white, the Malians are also present to make themselves heard after having set the mood in Korhogo during the Eagles’ first four matches. But this time the neighbors are received coldly, their anthem is even whistled by the Ivorians.
The match starts strong for Mali. A long touch from Sacko allows Kamory Doumbia to go on the wing. He crosses hard into the area for Sinayoko but Yahia Fofana is the fastest. The attacker trips on the goalkeeper but the referee is content with a lecture (3rd). The Ivorian goalkeeper then repels a cross from the Brest resident (5th)
Mali misses a penalty
Mali thinks they will get a penalty. On a corner taken by Doumbia, the ball returned to Haidara who fired a powerful volley. Odilon Kossounou seems to deflect his hand while Niakaté remains on the ground. It took many minutes for the referee to finally check the video and finally decree that there was neither hand nor contact (12th) but rather a Malian offside.
On the other hand, there was no hesitation when Kossounou mowed down Sinayoko in the area. Malian captain Adama Traoré takes charge of the shot on goal but Yahia Fofana starts on the right side in a deafening clamor (17th). The SCO Angers goalkeeper will celebrate with ball in hand in front of a group of Elephants supporters who are roaring with happiness.
Despite this failure, Mali keeps the match in hand. Ivory Coast seems powerless to escape from the Eagles’ counter-pressing. His first opportunity came late thanks to two grunts from the victorious 2015 campaign. On a corner taken by Serge Aurier, Max-Alain Gradel recovered and put down the Malian defense to try his luck. Repulsed (29th).
The game is balanced and shows why the midfielders of both teams are considered the best in this CAN. Defense, standing, passing between the lines, recovery, vista… It’s a feast for the eyes, even if the action no longer approaches the goals.
Hard blow for Ivory Coast: already at fault on the penalty, Odilon Kossounou receives a second yellow card just before the break and leaves his partners at 10 for the second half. Emerse Faé made a strong choice by removing his captain Serge Aurier to bring in Willy Boly. He also brings in his still convalescing striker, Sébastien Haller.
Dorgeles scores one of the goals of the tournament
But the match continues with the same observations: Mali dominates the game and would easily win a 10-man passing contest if that was the goal of this quarter-final. But the Eagles appear clueless when entering the penalty area. Opposite, the Ivorians break the rhythm and struggle to reach the last 30 meters with the ball at their feet.
In these conditions, it takes an individual exploit to unblock the situation. Nene Dorgeles, who has just come into play in place of his captain Adama Traoré, knows it. In front of five Ivorian players, he cuts into the center and unleashes a superb shot which clears a spider’s web lodged in the top corner of the helpless Yahia Fofana (71st, 1-0).
Adingra then Diakité on the gong
In desperation, Côte d’Ivoire pushed, particularly from set pieces. Diakité takes a corner with his head and propels the ball just next to Diarra’s goal (82nd). Then, Singo places his head on a free kick (84th).
But discouragement, like impossibility, is not Ivorian. Having just entered, Adingra infiltrates the area before serving a teammate. The shot is deflected and returns to his feet, he just has to push the ball into Diarra’s cage (90th, 1-1). The stadium wakes up for overtime.
Despite the numerical inferiority, the momentum changed sides. Taking a cross from the right, Haller gets the better of Hamari Traoré but finds the crossbar (95th). The Malians took a blow to the back of the head. Unless a set piece puts the Eagles back in the right direction? On a free kick, Dorgeles overflows on the side and crosses hard. Boly diverts and almost deceives his own goalkeeper (108th).
As we headed towards another stifling penalty shootout, on the gong once again, Oumar Diakité found a mouse hole to snatch the Ivorian victory (120th+1, 2-1). It’s cruel for Mali who long believed they were in the sixth semi-final in their history, but who paid for their lack of efficiency in front of goal.
For the Elephants, the resurrection campaign continues. While no one saw them capable of playing leading roles after their third place in group A, they took out Senegal and Mali in quick succession. Next step: DR Congo in the semi-finals. Before an evening in Ebimpé on February 11?