By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet has praised his team’s courage and resilience after they overcame Tunisia 3–2 in a tense penalty shootout during their Round of 16 clash at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca, Morocco.
In a post-match press briefing, Saintfiet said he was proud of his players, describing them as “heroes” for their fighting spirit and composure under pressure—especially after being reduced to ten men during the game.
“Before the game, I already said my team were heroes, and now there’s no other word,” Saintfiet said. “Every player fought for their country and did everything to stay in this competition. The goalkeeper helped us in the penalty shootout.”
Saintfiet acknowledged the toll the match took on his team but emphasized the need for quick recovery and tactical improvement ahead of the quarterfinals. “We want to achieve the things we set for ourselves. We’re ambitious,” he added, referencing the success he previously had leading Gambia to unprecedented heights.
The game ended 1–1 after extra time, with Mali’s Sinayoko scoring a late equalizer (P) in the 90+6′ minutes to force penalties.
Despite the setback of a red card to Malian player Coulibaly—who was ironically sent off in the 26th minute, wearing jersey number 26, in the year 2026—Mali held on and triumphed in the shootout after Chaouat had earlier given Tunisia the lead in the 88 minute.
Remarkably, Mali is yet to win a match in regular time at the tournament but remains unbeaten against Tunisia in their five AFCON meetings.
They will now face Senegal in the quarterfinals in what promises to be a fiery West African showdown.
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