Goalkeeper Djigui Diarra saved twice in the shoot-out to help 10-man Mali to a 3-2 win on penalties after a 1-1 last-16 draw with Tunisia in Casablanca on Saturday and book an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Senegal.
Tunisia striker Firas Chaouat gave his side the lead in the 88th minute as he lost his marker to guide a deep cross from Elias Saad into the net.
However, Mali were awarded a penalty in stoppage time when substitute defender Yassine Meriah inexplicably used his arm to deflect the ball from a free-kick, and Lassine Sinayoko netted in the 97th minute to send the game to extra time.
Mali had been reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute when Woyo Coulibaly stamped on the ankle of Tunisia's Hannibal Mejbri, and could have few complaints, but they put in a battling performance to snatch the win in the shoot-out.
Quite remarkably, Mali advance to the quarter-finals having not yet won a game at the tournament in Morocco.
They drew all three of their Group A fixtures but finished runners-up in the pool, and drew against Tunisia in Casablanca.
They will face West African rivals Senegal in Tangier on Friday, after the latter earlier defeated Sudan 3-1 to advance to the last eight.
The wet and windy conditions in Casablanca did not help the spectacle, and neither did the early red card, but it took until the 79th minute for the first shot on target from either side as Hannibal’s curling free-kick was saved by Diarra.
Mali set out to defend once they went down to 10 men, and were reduced to half-chances until they were handed the opportunity to equalise from the spot by Meriah's moment of madness.
Chaouat had the ball in the net again for Tunisia in extra time, but he was offside and the goal was ruled out, taking the game to spot kicks.
Senegal fight back to seal progress
Earlier on Saturday, Senegal came from behind to defeat Sudan 3-1 and become the first side to book a place in the last eight with midfielder Pape Gueye scoring twice.
Senegal, the 2021 Cup of Nations winners, fell behind following a moment of brilliance from Aamir Abdallah in their last-16 clash at the Grande Stade Tangier before Gueye scored twice, while 17-year-old Ibrahima Mbaye added a third 13 minutes from the end.
While Gueye got his name on the board, Sadio Mane played his part as well. The veteran Senegal captain provided two assists – for Gueye’s second goal and Mbaye’s strike – moving him clear at the top of the Afcon all-time assists chart with nine, two more than Ivory Coast great Yaya Toure.
