Overview
- Senegal came from behind to defeat Sudan 3-1, with Pape Gueye scoring at 29' and 45'+3' from the spot before Ibrahim Mbaye added a 77' goal after Aamir Abdallah’s 6' opener.
- The result made the 2021 champions the first team to clinch a quarterfinal place at the tournament in Morocco.
- Mali played a man down from the 26th minute yet forced a 1-1 draw as VAR confirmed a handball on Yassine Meriah and Lassine Sinayoko converted at 90'+6.
- Firas Chaouat gave Tunisia an 88' lead and later had an extra-time goal ruled offside before Mali won the shootout 3-2, highlighted by two saves from goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
- Senegal will face Mali in Tangier on January 9, while Sudan and Tunisia are eliminated, with Sudan’s campaign unfolding as the UN reports nearly 12 million people displaced by the country’s civil war.