Mali to meet Ivory Coast in 3rd Quarter on Saturday at 6 pm
The Eagles of Mali on Tuesday at the Amadou Coulibaly Stadium dismissed the Stallions of Mali 2-1 in a sibling fight that stamped the supremacy of Mali on Burkina Faso.
Mali perhaps scored the fastest goal of the Round of 16 in the 3rd minute when Bayern Leverkusen of Germany Central Defender, Edmond Tapsobe yielding to pressure from a corner kick put the ball in his own net for first goal to Mali.
On resumption of the second half, Mali got her second goal when indefatigable Traore found Auxerre player, Lassine Sinayoko who ran rings around the Stallion Defenders and scored with the left foot reminiscences of how Segun Odegbami of Nigeria used to torment the defence structures in those days. Sinayoko had scored against Ghana and Mozambique in the group matches. Sinayoko was the MAN OF THE MATCH against Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso tried to fight back and suddenly the ball rolled on the arms of a Malian defender and VAR approved a penalty which Aston Villa player, Bertrand Traore beautifully tucked in at 55th minute. Traore had scored against Algeria and Mauritania at the group stages.
Some 19,442 fans watched the Libyan Ref Mustaz Ibraham with his stern officiating. He handled the Ghana versus Mozambique match.
Mali and Burkina Faso had met 7 times with 5 wins to Mali, one to Burkina Faso and a draw. Mali trounced the Stallions 3-1 in an AFCON match on 31st January 2004; played five friendly matches 3-0 to Mali on 13th August 2009, 1-1 on 12th November 2011, Mali smashed Burkina Faso on 9th October 2013 still bashed Burkina Faso 4-1 on 9th October 2015 and lost to the Stallions 1-2 on 7th January 2017. The last time they met was in a CHAN match that ended by a lone goal victory to Mali on 17th January 2021.
Mali topped Group E with 5 points scoring 3 goals and conceding just a goal. The team had collapsed the Bafana Bafana of South Africa 2-0; played 1-1 with the Eagles of Tunisia in a classical Eagles clash and played goalless with the Brave Warriors of Namibia.
The Stallions of Burkina Faso beat Mauritania by a lone goal; played 2-2 draw with Algeria and lost to Angola 0-2. She had 4 points to come second after Angola in Group D, scored 3 goals and conceded 4 goals.
This is a siblings encounter as both teams are neighbors separated by 650 km distance; both are making their 13th appearance at the party; both have lost in AFCON finals before, What a soul tie?
Mali played 54 games without winning the trophy but have a best performance in 1972 when she lost 2-3 in the finals to Congo.
Burkina Faso has an interesting record eliminated at the group stages 8 times; reached the semifinal four times and played in the finals in 2013 where she lost to Nigeria by a lone goal.
Mali ranked 51 with 13 appearances has played 53 matches of the AFCON games without winning the trophy on their preparation played 1-1 with Uganda on 13th October 2023 in a friendly; in another friendly played on 17th October 2023 Mali beat Saudi 3-1; also beat Chad 3-1 in a world cup match of 17th November 2023; got 1-1 draw against CAR in a world cup 20th November 2023; and on 6th January 2024 Mali thrashed Guinea Bissau 6-2 in a friendly.
The Best of Mali was being Runners up in 1972. She lost to PR Congo 2-3; at Tunisia 94 she placed 4th losing to Ivory Coast 1-3; she hosted in 2002 and lost the Bronze to Nigeria by a lone goal; it was Nigeria again that stopped the nation from winning the Bronze at Tunisia 2004 3-1 it was; but Mali beat Ghana 2-0 to win the Bronze when Nigeria and Ghana hosted in 2012; their last effort at the podium was 2013 when she won the Bronze 3-1 over Ghana in South Africa.
Burkina Faso ranked 105 in the world had on 17th November 2023 played 1-1 with Guinea Bissau in a world cup qualifier; the Stallions beat Ethiopia 3-0 in the second leg on 21st November 2023; she played Iran in a friendly on 5th January 2024 losing 1-2; defeated DR Congo in another friendly played 10th January 2024 but in their match against Mauritania in this AFCON Group D opener she won by a lone goal.
Burkina Faso greatest achievement at AFCON was Silver at South Africa 2013 when she lost to Nigeria by a lone goal in the final. In her first appearance at Ghana 78 she was sent out at the group stage same as South Africa 96 when she first appeared as Burkina Faso after the country changed name. In 1998 she hosted and lost the Bronze to DR Congo 4-1 on penalties after 4-4 at full time; she won Silver in 2013; she got a Bronze at Gabon 2017 beating Ghana by a lone goal but in the last AFCON Games Cameroon 2021 she lost to hosts Cameroon 5-3 on penalties after 3-3 at full time.
Morocco will lock horns with South Africa San Pedro Stadium at 9pm in the last match of the Round of 16.
On Friday 2nd February, Nigeria will open the quarterfinal series against Angola at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium at 6pm and at 9pm it will be DR Congo versus Guinea at the Olympic Stadium.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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