Mali set up quarterfinal against hosts Ivory Coast after Burkina Faso win

In a great display of grit and perseverance, Mali booked a place in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Burkina Faso 2-1 in a hard-fought affair.

The Eagles scored a goal early in each half to set up a crunch quarterfinal encounter with hosts Ivory Coast, who beat defending champions Senegal in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout. 

The Eagles went 2-0 up after an Edmond Tapsoba own goal in the third minute and a Lassine Sinayoko strike in the 47th minute but were made to endure a nervous ending after Bertrand Traore's second-half penalty that made it 2-1. 

Despite several chances for the Stallions, Mali held on to see out the 2-1 victory and send Burkina Faso packing from the tournament, ending their impressive run.  

The Burkinabe stars had finished second in Group D, which also included Algeria and Angola, but were halted in the first knockout round by Mali, who also finished top of Group E.