Mali profited from fast begins to every half as an personal objective from Edmond Tapsoba and a strike by Lassine Sinayoko secured a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso in an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 conflict on the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo on Tuesday.
Mali scored inside three minutes in the beginning of the match because the unlucky Tapsoba turned the ball into his personal internet, and caught the Burkinabe chilly once more once they added a second two minutes after the break as Sinayoko netted his third objective of the event.
Burkina Faso pulled a objective again when Bertrand Traore slotted a penalty simply earlier than the hour-mark, however couldn’t drive an equaliser in opposition to a Mali facet with a well-deserved repute for a miserly defence, one of many the explanation why they’re among the many event favourites.
Mali are searching for their first continental title and subsequent face hosts Ivory Coast in a quarter-final that might be performed in Bouake on Saturday.
No group has performed extra video games, 55, on the Cup of Nations with out lifting the trophy than Mali and Tuesday’s encounter was maybe one other indicator of why they’ll change that this yr.
They are a troublesome facet to interrupt down with explosive forwards, and whereas the scoreline could not have been emphatic, they had been comfy winners in the long run.
Mali hit the entrance inside three minutes when Amadou Haidara’s highly effective header rebounded off the publish and as Burkina Faso defender Tapsoba tried to clear, he solely succeeded in steering the ball into his personal internet.
If Mali’s begin to the primary half was quick, their opening to the second interval was even faster as they doubled the rating inside two minutes of the kickoff.
Sinayoko was performed into acres of area on the right-hand facet of the field by Hamari Traore and with time to select his spot, he coolly slipped the ball beneath goalkeeper Herve Koffi.
Burkina Faso had the prospect to halve the deficit when the ball struck the outstretched arm of Mali defender Kiki Kouyate and Libyan referee Ibrahim Mutaz awarded the spot-kick following a Video Assistant Referee evaluate. Traore made no mistake from 12-yards.
They pushed ahead searching for an equaliser and had the ball behind the online by way of Issoufou Dayo, however he was well-offside and so they couldn’t create a lot of substance within the closing minutes.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
