In a night brimming with drama and resilience, Mali finally broke their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockout-stage curse, outlasting Tunisia 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in extra time at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca. The result not only propelled the Eagles into the quarter-finals, where they are set to face Senegal on January 9, 2026, but also added another wild chapter to the nation’s storied, bittersweet AFCON history.
For a football-mad country often dubbed Africa’s strongest never to have lifted the continent’s grandest prize, this victory was as much about grit as it was about hope. Mali, under the stewardship of 52-year-old Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, entered the knockout rounds having drawn all three group-stage matches and, remarkably, still seeking their first win in regulation time. But as the Casablanca rain fell and tensions soared, the Eagles found a way to survive and advance.
The match, played on January 3, 2026, was a tense affair from the outset, reflecting the deep-rooted rivalry between the two sides. With fifteen previous meetings on record, Mali and Tunisia are no strangers to high-stakes drama, and this Round of 16 encounter was no exception. Both coaches named expected starting lineups, aiming for balance and defensive solidity—an approach that proved prescient as the match unfolded with few clear-cut chances and plenty of nervy moments.
The game’s complexion changed dramatically in the 26th minute when Mali’s Woyo Coulibaly was shown a straight red card for stamping on the ankle of Tunisia’s Hannibal Mejbri. The Eagles, reduced to ten men, were forced to dig deep and reorganize, with Saintfiet’s tactical acumen immediately put to the test. "We want to achieve the things we put for ourselves," Saintfiet had said before the match, and his side’s response would soon be measured in sweat and sacrifice.
Tunisia, sensing an opportunity, pressed forward but found Mali’s defense stubborn and their own creativity stifled by the wet, windy conditions. The first shot on target didn’t arrive until the 79th minute, when Hannibal’s curling free-kick was parried away by Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra—a sign of the attritional battle taking place on the pitch.
As the minutes ticked away, it seemed the ten-man Eagles might just hold out for penalties. But in the 88th minute, Tunisia finally broke through. Firas Chaouat, losing his marker with a clever run, met a deep cross from Elias Saad and guided it into the net. The Carthage Eagles erupted in celebration, believing they’d delivered the knockout blow.
Yet this Mali team, forged in adversity and buoyed by Saintfiet’s belief, refused to wilt. Deep into stoppage time—beyond the allotted four minutes—Mali were awarded a lifeline. Substitute defender Yassine Meriah handled the ball in the box while blocking a free-kick, and after a lengthy VAR review and heated Tunisian protests, the referee pointed to the spot. Lassine Sinayoko stepped up and coolly converted in the 97th minute, sending the match into extra time and sparking wild scenes among the Malian faithful.
Extra time brought further drama. Tunisia thought they’d reclaimed the lead when Chaouat had the ball in the net again, but the goal was ruled out for offside after another tense VAR check. Both sides created half-chances, but neither could find a decisive breakthrough as fatigue and nerves set in. The final whistle signaled a penalty shootout—a fitting end to a match that had already demanded so much from both teams.
Penalty shootouts are often cruel, but for Mali, they proved redemptive. Goalkeeper Djigui Diarra emerged as the hero, saving two Tunisian penalties and giving his side the edge. Even after Mali captain Yves Bissouma blazed his penalty over the bar, the Eagles held their nerve. El Bilal Toure, entrusted with the decisive spot-kick, made no mistake, firing home to seal a 3-2 shootout victory and send Mali into raptures.
"The experience I had with Gambia helps me grow and be more prepared for these kinds of tournaments, but for myself, or for the experience, I don't see any difference between Gambia or Mali," Saintfiet reflected prior to the match, referencing his success in guiding Gambia to their first ever AFCON quarter-final. Now, with Mali, he’s repeated the feat—albeit in even more dramatic fashion.
The victory was all the more remarkable given Mali’s path to this point. Despite being hailed as a powerhouse at youth level—with multiple U-17 and U-20 World Cup semifinal appearances and two African U-17 Nations Cup titles—the senior side had long been dogged by near-misses. Six previous AFCON semifinals, including back-to-back appearances in 2012 and 2013, had yielded only heartbreak. The Eagles’ quest for a maiden title had become an enduring subplot of the tournament’s 69-year history.
Saintfiet’s squad, built on a foundation of players developed at top academies, has shown flashes of technical brilliance and resilience throughout the tournament. Yet, before this match, they had yet to win a game outright, drawing all three group-stage fixtures—including a 0-0 stalemate with Comoros and a controversial draw with hosts Morocco. Still, as the Belgian coach noted, “Mali are a real football-loving nation with a long history. In 1972 they were second, they've been semi-finalists five more times, the last two times in 2012 and 2013, and they're always qualifying for the AFCON. There's a lot of ambition, with good players at the highest level. Mali's a country where people love football.”
Tunisia, meanwhile, will rue their missed opportunity. “Mali is a big team with players of high technical and physical quality,” Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi had warned before the match. “The match will be decided by small details and mistakes, and there won't be many chances. The most important thing is to take advantage of them.” In the end, it was Tunisia’s own errors—particularly Meriah’s handball and missed penalties—that proved costly.
As the dust settles, Mali’s journey continues. They head to Tangier to face Senegal in the quarter-finals, still unbeaten in regulation time and now brimming with confidence. For a nation yearning to shed the label of Africa’s best never to win AFCON, this dramatic triumph over Tunisia may just be the spark they’ve been waiting for. The Eagles are flying high, and with Saintfiet at the helm, who’s to say where this remarkable run might end?