South Africa ends Cape Verde fairytale on penalties: Ivorey coast through.
The AFCON knockout rounds continued Saturday night with two big quarter-final matchups. Here is what went down across the grounds.
Williams is the hero as South Africa advanced on penalties.
There was a drop in quality from the earlier barnstormer between Mail and hosts Ivory Coast. But the tension was still palpable after 90 minutes produced no goals, seeing the second game of the day head to extra-time. Cape Verde created a flurry of chances in the extra period, but some heroic defending and the crossbar came to the rescue of the South Africans.
After four saves from South African keeper Ronwen Williams in the penalty shootout, Mothobi Mvala stepped up to send South Africa into the semi-final in dramatic fashion.
Ivory Coast advances after 122nd-minute winner
Scorers: Mali vs Ivory Coast
Dorgeles 71′ Adingra 90′ Diakite 122′
In perhaps the most dramatic game of the tournament so far, 10-man Ivory Coast scored goals in the 90th and 122nd minutes to knockout Mail. It was all Mali in the early despite a raucous crowd behind the host country, and the Visitors saw a pair of major penalty shouts waved away in the opening 10 minutes.
The luck finally turned their way when they were awarded a spot-kick for a last-ditch tackle in the Ivorian box, but Hull City’s Adama Traore saw his tame effort saved to keep the scoreline untouched. After riding their luck throughout the first-half the home side finally began to collapse when Odilon kossounou was sent off for his second yellow card in the opening 45 minutes.
While it took until the final 20 minutes, Mali finally found the opener that they perhaps felt they deserved when Nene Dorgeles fired home from the edge of the box to stun the home crowd. It looked as if the hosts would crash out limply, but the tie was flipped on its head in the dying minutes when Simon Adingro dramatically pulled the Ivory Coast level to send the game to extra time.
As penalties beckoned, Oumar Diakite popped up to snatch a 122nd-minute winner dramatically to book their spot in the semi-final.
