AFCON: Zaha fires Cote d’Ivoire into quarter final

Cote d’Ivoire are through to the quarter-final stage of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following their 1-0 win over regional rivals Mali on Monday.

A 76th minute Wilfred Zaha goal ensured that the Elephants booked a date against Algeria in the final eight.

Both Mali and Cote d’Ivoire are jointly ranked 62nd in the world but the two teams enjoyed differing fortunes on their way to the knockout stages.

Mali emerged top of Group E with two victories and a draw while the Ivorians finished Group D in second place behind Morocco following two wins.

It was the Mali Eagles that dominated Monday’s Round of 16 clash but they failed to make their dominance count missing chance after chance.

In the end, they paid dearly for their profligacy as Zaha made the difference for the Ivorians; scoring the winning goal in the 76th minute

With this, Mali have now failed to win any of their last five meetings with the Ivorians.

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Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

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