Bolaji Jimoh 
Senegal, the current holders of the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) lost to Ivory Coast in a last-16 penalty shootout on Monday night.
Senegal took an early lead thanks to a goal from Habib Diallo. However, the AFCON hosts were able to tie the game with a late penalty from Franck Kessie.
In the shootout, Moussa Niakhate was the only player to miss, meaning the Lions were eliminated.
Following their group stage elimination by Equatorial Guinea with a terrible 4-0 loss, Ivory Coast interim manager Emerse Fae began training the first few days of his job without even knowing if Les Elephants would make it out of the competition.
The fact that Sadio Mane won a corner in the first forty seconds and then set up Al-Shabab striker Diallo to blast into the roof of the net after just four minutes may have contributed to the hosts’ lethargic start.
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After a protracted wait for Ibrahim Sangare to be treated for Mane’s studs-up challenge, which resulted merely in a yellow card, the hosts improved.
Long stretches of possession, though, were fruitless as Senegal’s formidable five-man defence easily stopped everything, even when Ivory Coast again broke through the box thanks to Seko Fofana’s endless energy.
Even yet, there was a feeling that the reigning AFCON champions may score at any moment, as demonstrated just after the half when Ismaila Sarr scored from a short free kick by Kalidou Koulibaly. Yahia Fofana missed with his weak attempt.
Ivory Coast brought on Nicolas Pepe and Simon Adingra off the bench, but Senegal turned the pressure on when Sarr’s penalty claim was rejected and Ismail Jakobs and Lamine Camara missed the mark.
The home crowd, however, was more excited to see Sebastien Haller, the team’s poster boy, come off the bench after an ankle injury postponed his arrival at the Cup of Nations.
Shortly after, Mane missed the target on the opposite end, but Edouard Mendy preserved his clean sheet with a stunning double stop.
Mendy’s goalkeeping of Pepe in the area after a deft ball in behind ultimately gave the Ivorians the opportunity they needed to pull level.
After the referee initially rejected the hosts’ pleas, VAR delivered the penalty, which Kessie converted home.
In the midst of an open extra-time period that ended without a winner as penalties approached, Fofana denied Mane.
Kessie was able to complete the victory when Senegal’s Niakhate struck the post after the first four penalties were successfully converted.
