Ivory Coast stun Senegal as Cape Verde also sail through

• Ivory Coast beat Senegal 5-4 on penalties
• The game ended 1-1 in regular and extra time
• Cape Verde beat Mauritania 1-0 in the early kick off

 Ivory Coast rose from the dead, edging out defending champions Senegal 5-4 on post match penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time.

The Ivorians, who sneaked into the round of 16 as the fourth best placed number three from the group phase had scored a late equalizer from the penalty spot to send the game into extra time.

They had appeared dead and buried after losing twice in the group stages especially the 4-0 defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea, but they managed to rise to the occasion, stunning the Senegalese. No defending champions since Egypt in 2010 has managed to successfully retain their crown.

Mousa Niakhate missed his penalty for Senegal, while the Ivory Coast scored all theirs. Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr had scored the first two for Senegal before Niakhate missed.

Ivory Coast scored all their penalties

Ivory Coast celebrate their win. PHOTO/CAF

Bamba Dieng and Sadio Mane scored the other two for the Lions of Teranga, but the Ivorians didn’t miss any; Nicholas Pepe, Christian Kouame, Sebastian Haller, Serge Aurier and Franck Kessie scored for Ivory Coast.

Having gone through the group stages unscathed, Senegal were clearly favorites going into the tie and they needed just four minutes to get into the lead, Habib Diallo smashing the ball into the roof of the net from a Mane cross.

In the second half, the Ivory Coast made changes and this spurred their attack. Haller, Kessie and Koume all came in to boost the attackline and it worked, as they pinned Senegal more into their own half.

Pepe had a chance when he broke on the left but his volley was saved by keeper Edouard Mendy. They however got the much needed equalizer four minutes to the end, through a VAR awarded penalty. The referee had initially waved play on, but after being advised to check the pitch side screen, changed his mind for the penalty.

Max Gradel was brought down by Mendy, and Kessie stepped up to score and send the game to extra time.

Cape Verde progress with late goal

Cape Verde celebrate with their coach after qualification. PHOTO/CAF

Meanwhile, Cape Verde have qualified for the AFCON quarter finals for the second time in their history after edging out a resilient Mauritania side by a solitary goal in the round of 16 in Abidjan.

Skipper Ryan Mendes scored an 88^th minute penalty for the islanders to send them through to the last eight, much to the heartbreak of a Mauritanian side that had fought by all their arsenal to try get something from the match.

It had been a closely contested duel between the two sides, The Blue Sharks seeking another piece of achievement while the Mauritanians were chasing history with a first ever place in the last eight.

Cape Verde had the first effort at goal, Mendes slaloming his way into the box but his eventual shot was deflected to fly inches wide.  The skipper had another effort in the ninth minute when he ran to a long ball with the keeper off his line, but lifted the ball just over.

Mauritania also had their chances and the best fell on Souleymane Anne who lifted the ball over from close range after doing well to find space in the box.

For all their fight, Mauritania were stunned from a mistake at the back. A header back to the keeper from a long ball was intercepted by Benchimol who was hacked down by the keeper and a penalty awarded.

Skipper Mendes stepped up and sent it straight through the middle to win the game for his side.