After a 1-1 draw in extra time in Yamoussoukro, hosts Ivory Coast eliminated reigning champions Senegal in a penalty shootout to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The hosts, who had been humiliated in their group stage performance that resulted in two defeats, had a remarkable victory thanks to the winning penalty converted by Franck Kessie, who had scored from spot four minutes from the end of normal time.
Habib Diallo's goal from a cross by Sadio Mane in the fourth minute gave Senegal the lead and a fantastic start.
Despite falling behind so quickly in the Teranga Lions match, Ivory Coast, who advanced to the round of 16 as one of the top third-placed teams from the group stage, steadily gained momentum.
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After a reckless challenge on Nottingham Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare five minutes later, Mane was fortunate to get away with a caution; Sangare had to be stretchered off for treatment before returning to the game.
The 2015 winners trailed at the half despite dominating play in a markedly better performance than their dismal showing a week prior against Equatorial Guinea, where they were thrashed 4-0 at home and suffered their worst-ever home loss.
When Odilon Kossounou appeared to have brought him down in the box, Winger Sarr was at the center of the action again. However, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check determined insufficient contact to warrant a penalty.
After Jean-Louis Gasset was fired last week, Ivory Coast's interim coach Emerse Fae made an emergency appointment and introduced forward Sebastian Haller and midfielder Frank Kessie to the game. Kessie made an early impression, having Edouard Mendy save his header before failing to score on the rebound.
The players and supporters at home were initially incensed when referee Pierre Atcho of Gabon rejected their requests for a penalty.
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse and one of his assistants were given a yellow card for their protestations, and VAR sent Atcho to the monitor.
Reversing his earlier decision, Atcho gave Ivory Coast a spot-kick, which Kessie dutifully dispatched to Mendy's left, sending cheers through the Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro Stadium.
After forcing the holders to give up, Ivory Coast saw two fantastic opportunities go awry: Serge Aurier of Forest and Simon Adringa of Brighton both missed the goal.
Mane and Pepe had half-chances once more in the second extra time period, but neither player could find the equalizer. Haller, who has been making a comeback after an injury, also missed a late opportunity to score.
Senegal, the only team in this Nations Cup to have won all three of its group matches, and Ivory Coast, which had never lost three straight games in a single tournament, faced off in a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the quarterfinals.
Pape Matar Sarr and Kalidou Koulibaly scored penalties, while Nicolas Pepe and Christian Kouame equalized for their opponents.
However, Ivory Coast gained the advantage thanks to a miss from Moussa Niakhate. The crowd cheered them on as Sebastien Haller and captain Serge Aurier scored their goals.
Mane finished strong, blowing past Fofana to maintain the shootout. However, Kessie createdmade the game-winning play to send the home team into the quarterfinals.
