- Mali denied an early lead with a penalty from Yahia Fofana in the quarter-final
- Traore was prevented from scoring the first goal in the AFCON match against host country Ivory Coast
- Premier League clubs owe around £2 billion in transfer fees… it’s crystal clear why it’s been quiet – It’s all the kick-off to Transfer Week podcast
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahi Fofana denied Adama Traore the opener in their AFCON quarter-final clash with Mali.
Fofana successfully dived into the right corner of the goal to keep out Traore’s shot before grabbing the ball and running off to celebrate with the fans.
His teammates were quick to join him in their celebrations which saw Mali denied the quarter-final opener.
Just before half-time, Odilon Koussounou – the player who gave away the penalty – was sent off for the hosts.
Ivory Coast will try to secure a place in the semi-finals with only ten players on the field.
Yahia Fofana denied Mali an early lead with his penalty save from the spot
Adama Traore plays as a midfielder for Hull City but did not get an early goal
Fofana, who plays for Ligue 2 club Angers, previously played for French top club Le Havre.
Mali will take on hosts Ivory Coast in the AFCON quarter-finals in a bid to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
The tournament has so far been dominated by underdogs, after favorites Senegal and Morocco were both eliminated early.
Angola, Guinea, Cape Verde and the Democratic Republic of Congo all advanced to the quarter-finals, while Nigeria and DR Congo had already booked their places in the semi-finals.
The winner of Mali’s match against Ivory Coast will face Cape Verde or South Africa, depending on who wins Sunday night’s match.