South Africa and Mali Advance to Africa Cup of Nations Quarter-Finals

South Africa shocks Morocco with 2-0 victory, while Mali secures a 2-1 win over Burkina Faso. Host nation Ivory Coast set to face Mali in the quarter-finals.

South Africa stunned Morocco with a 2-0 victory in the Africa Cup of Nations, knocking the World Cup semi-finalists out at the last-16 stage. Goals were scored by Evidence Makgopa and Teboho Mokoena, while Morocco's Achraf Hakimi missed a late penalty.
Mali secured a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso, advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013. An own goal from Edmond Tapsoba and a strike by Lassine Sinayoko secured the win for Mali.
Ivory Coast, the host nation, will face Mali in the quarter-finals after their victory over Senegal. The Ivorians are now seen as potential winners of the tournament, despite their previous group-stage collapse.
Morocco's exit from the tournament continues their poor record in the Cup of Nations, which they have won only once, in 1976. The team's coach, Walid Regragui, took full responsibility for the defeat.
The tournament has seen several upsets, with none of the top five ranked African nations, nor any of the four semi-finalists from the previous edition, making it to the quarter-finals.