By our man in Casablanca
MALI’S Eagles soared into the AFCON quarter-finals last night after a penalty shootout thriller that left the iconic Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca shaking to its foundations.
The North African air was thick with tension as these two continental heavyweights traded blows in a Moroccan cauldron.
While the history books will show a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of Gruelling action, the real story was the electric atmosphere inside one of Africa’s most intimidating football cathedrals.
Under the glowing floodlights of the Casablanca landmark, the match was a tactical chess game played at breakneck speed. Mali struck first through the clinical Lassine Sinayoko, whose low drive silenced the pockets of Tunisian fans in the stands. But the “Carthage Eagles” aren’t easily grounded.
They fought back with a grit typical of the Casablanca stage, leveling the scores to send the tie into a nerve-shredding period of extra time.
As the clock ticked toward midnight in the white city, neither side could find the killer blow. It was down to the ultimate lottery: penalties.
In a shootout that saw nerves jangle and star men falter, Mali’s keeper Djigui Diarra became the hero of Casablanca. He produced two stunning saves to deny the Tunisians, while El Bilal Toure stepped up to smash home the decisive spot-kick.
Mali triumphed 3-2 on penalties, sparking wild celebrations on the pitch where so many Moroccan legends have been made. For Tunisia, it was heartbreak in the heat of Casablanca; for Mali, a historic night under the Moroccan stars.
