Mali’s national football team clinched a 2-0 victory over their South African counterparts on Tuesday evening, in the second match of the first round in Group 5 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), currently being held in Ivory Coast.
South African star and Al Ahly player Percy Tau squandered an opportunity to put his team ahead when he sent the ball flying over the bar during a penalty kick in the 19th minute.
Percy Tau misses a penalty in a bizarre way
#AFCON #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 16, 2024
The missed penalty became a turning point in Mali’s favor, prompting the team to reinforce their defensive efforts while starting to pose threats to the South African goal.
In the second half, Mali decided the match by scoring two consecutive goals through Hamari Traoré and Lassine Sinayoko in the 60th and 66th minutes, respectively.
Hamari Traoré scores the opening goal for Mali #AFCON | #MaliSouthAfrica #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 16, 2024
With this win, Mali tops Group 5 with a total of 3 points, ahead on goal difference from their Namibian counterparts who secured a 1-0 win over Tunisia earlier on Tuesday.
In the second round of matches, Mali is set to face Tunisia next Saturday, while the South African and Namibian teams will meet on Sunday.
Lassina Sinayoko nets the second goal for Mali #AFCON | #MaliSouthAfrica #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 16, 2024
A successful start for the Malian team
⏯️ Watch the match summary here 👇 #AFCON | #MaliSouthAfrica#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 16, 2024
