By Francis Onyach - Reporter
Kenya, 4 January 2026 - Mali produced one of the most resilient and dramatic performances of the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 to eliminate Tunisia in a gripping tie that ended 1-1 after extra time and was decided 3-2 on penalties in favour of the 10-men Eagles.
Mali’s plans were severely disrupted in the 26th minute when defender Woyo Coulibaly was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Tunisia’s Hannibal Mejbri, leaving his side to play with ten men for the rest of the match.
Despite being a man down, Mali regrouped and defended resolutely, absorbing sustained pressure from their opponents who dominated possession for much of the contest.
After a cagey first 80 minutes, the deadlock was broken in the 88th minute. Firas Chaouat rose highest from a deep cross to head Tunisia in front, sparking hopes that the numerical advantage would finally pay off for the Carthage Eagles.
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In a dramatic twist, Tunisia were penalised for handball in the penalty area deep into stoppage time.
Mali were awarded a spot-kick, and Lassine Sinayoko kept his cool under immense pressure, firing home in the 90+6 minutes to level the score and send the match into extra time.
Neither side could find a breakthrough in extra time, and the tie proceeded to penalties. Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra became the hero of the night, saving two crucial penalties to turn the shootout in his team’s favour. Ultimately, El Bilal Touré stepped up to slot home the decisive spot-kick, securing a 3-2 shootout win for Mali.
The victory sends Mali into the AFCON quarter-finals, where they will face Senegal, a match set for the Grand Stade de Tanger, while Tunisia bowed out despite their long periods of dominance on the ball and the advantage of an extra player for most of the match.
