Mali advanced to the quarter-finals of the AFCON following a triumph over Burkina Faso

Mali and Burkina Faso faced each other in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.

In the first half, the nominal hosts dominated the game convincingly, rightfully heading into halftime as the leading team. In the 3rd minute, Bayer's defender Edmond Tapsoba inadvertently redirected the ball into his own team's net. Throughout the remaining time, Mali came closer to securing a second goal than Burkina Faso did to scoring their first.

Early in the second half, the situation for Burkina Faso worsened. Lassine Sinayoko, following a pass from Amari Traore, doubled Mali's advantage.

To Burkina Faso's credit, the team showed resilience and refused to surrender. Around the hour mark, Bertrand Traore converted a penalty, reigniting the intrigue in the match. The penalty was awarded for a handball by Boubacar Kouyate inside his team's penalty area. However, the comeback was not enough for Burkina Faso.

In the next stage, Mali will face Ivory Coast. The match is scheduled for February 3.

AFCON, Round of 16
Mali - Burkina Faso - 2:1
Goals: Tapsoba (own goal) 3, Sinayoko, 47 - B. Traore, 57