A last gasp goal by Idrissa Traoure sealed a quarter-final spot for Mali after beating Mozambique 2-1 in a Group A match played at Athlone Stadium on Sunday evening.
With Mozambique playing for pride, it was all up to Mali to take the game to the opposition with all to play for.
But it was the Mambas of Mozambique who threatened to tore the form book apart when they went into the break leading by a solitary strike.
Mozambique took the game to their opponents and were duly rewarded for their relentless attack when Josemar Machaisse broke the deadlock with a superb strike to the far left to give the Mambas the lead going into the break.
As expected, Mali came in the second half searching for an equaliser and duly got it just two minutes into the second half when Ibourahima Sidibe made no mistake with a clinical left footed finish.
After the equaliser, Mali grew stronger and it was just a matter of time before they got the winner.
In the 51st minute, Mali were back in the opposition’s box and almost got the lead when Sidibe fired a thunderous shot that went narrowly went wide.
The West Africans again threatened on the hour mark but Abdoulaye Sissoko failed to hit the target after a glaring chance.
With the game headed for a share of the spoils, Mali got the winner when Idrissa Traoure was pulled down in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. The striker rose to plant the ball into the back of the net for a deserved winner.
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Confederation of African Football (CAF) News
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