Tunisia suffered a devastating last-16 exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, falling 3-2 on penalties to ten-man Mali after a 1-1 draw. The Carthage Eagles appeared to have secured a hard-fought victory when substitute Firas Chaouat broke the deadlock with an 88th-minute header. This goal came against a Malian side that had been reduced to ten men in the 26th minute following a red card to defender Woyo Coulibaly.
Tunisia suffered a devastating last-16 exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, falling 3-2 on penalties to ten-man Mali after a 1-1 draw. The Carthage Eagles appeared to have secured a hard-fought victory when substitute Firas Chaouat broke the deadlock with an 88th-minute header. This goal came against a Malian side that had been reduced to ten men in the 26th minute following a red card to defender Woyo Coulibaly.
The match took a cruel turn deep into stoppage time. With victory seemingly assured, a handball by defender Yassine Meriah resulted in a penalty being awarded to Mali after a VAR review. Lassine Sinayoko converted the spot-kick in the 96th minute, erasing Tunisia's lead and forcing the contest into extra time. The dramatic equalizer stunned the majority of the crowd in Casablanca, where many local supporters had been cheering for their North African neighbors.
During the additional thirty minutes, Tunisia struggled to create clear chances against the resilient Malian defense, with heavy rain affecting play. Chaouat thought he had scored a second goal, but it was correctly ruled out for offside. The match proceeded to a penalty shootout, where Tunisia's composure deserted them.
After Mali's captain missed the first kick, Tunisia's Ali Abdi failed to convert his attempt. Goalkeeper Djigui Diarra then became the hero for Mali, saving penalties from Elias Achouri and Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane. Mali's El Bilal Toure scored the decisive kick to send Tunisia out of the tournament, marking a bitter end for a side that had come so close to a quarter-final berth.
The defeat concludes Tunisia's AFCON journey in the most painful manner possible. Having finally capitalized on their one-man advantage late in the game, the team was unable to see out the final moments of regulation time. The subsequent shootout loss amplifies the disappointment of letting a winning position slip away against a depleted opponent. The focus now turns to introspection after an opportunity for a deep tournament run was lost in a matter of dramatic minutes.
