Africa Cup of Nations 2024: Quarter-final fixtures, results, schedule, groups and how to watch AFCON on TV – Next round takes shape after holders Senegal knocked out. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations heads to the quarter-final stage this week. As the last-16 wraps up tonight, teams are already mapping out their path to the final in Abidjan with several fallen giants making for an incredibly open AFCON. Ivory Coast will take on Mali after the hosts knocked holders Senegal out on penalties, with DR Congo and Guinea also in that side of the draw after wins over Egypt and Equatorial Guinea, respectively. (Photo: Host Ivory Coast beat defending champions Senegal).

The Super Eagles of Nigeria get the quarter-finals underway on Friday with a match-up against a dangerous Angola side which cruised past Namibia in the last-16, while Nigeria got the better of Cameroon. The winner will take on Cape Verde or the winner of Morocco’s tie with South Africa in the semi-finals after the Islanders helped send Ghana home in the group stage – where African giants Tunisia and Algeria also fell. Fixtures, schedule and results (all times GMT).

Knockout Stage

Last-16

Saturday, January 27

• 1: Angola 3-0 Namibia
• 2: Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

Sunday, January 28

• 3: Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Guinea
• 4: Egypt 1-1 (7-8 pens) DR Congo

Monday, January 29

• 5: Cape Verde 1-0 Mauritania
• 6: Senegal 1-1 (4-5 pens) Ivory Coast

Tuesday, January 30

• 7: Mali 2-1 Burkina Faso
• 8: Morocco vs South Africa (Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, 8pm)

Quarter-Finals

Friday, February 2

• 1: Nigeria vs Angola (Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, 5pm)
• 2: DR Congo vs Guinea (Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, 8pm)

Saturday, February 3

• 3: Mali vs Ivory Coast (Stade de la Paix, Bouake, 5pm)
• 4: Cape Verde vs Morocco or South Africa (Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro, 8pm)

Semi-finals

Wednesday, February 7

• 1: Nigeria or Angola vs Winner 4 (Stade de la Paix, Bouake, 5pm)
• 2: Winner 3 vs DR Congo or Guinea (Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, 8pm)

Third place play-off

Saturday, February 10

Loser semi-final 1 vs Loser semi-final 2 (Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, 8pm)

Final

Sunday, February 11

Winner semi-final 1 vs Winner semi-final 2 (Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, 8pm)

Group stage

Group A

AFCON 2023: Ivory Coast Knock Out Holders Senegal After 5-4 Penalty Shootout Win

Reigning AFCON champions Senegal were knocked out at the last-16 stage of the competition by hosts Ivory Coast; former Barcelona Franck Kessie scored the winning penalty in the shootout after the game ended 1-1 after extra time; earlier on Monday, Cape Verde beat Mauritania 1-0 to advance. Franck Kessie stepped up from the penalty spot to send defending champions Senegal tumbling out of the Africa Cup of Nations and spark wild celebrations in Yamoussoukro.

Kessie had given hosts Ivory Coast hope when he coolly dispatched an 86th-minute spot-kick past Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to send the tie into extra-time. The 27-year-old delivered once again with the crucial kick to seal a 5-4 win in the shoot-out after Moussa Niakhate had missed his earlier effort for the favourites. The Ivory Coast’s win continued a remarkable revival for the hosts who had looked down and out in the group stage after a 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Equatorial Guinea.

Senegal had looked set to end the curse that had seen no defending champions reach the last eight since 2010 when Habib Diallo rifled home with just four minutes on the clock. The hosts responded well as they pinned Senegal back in their own half, but the holders’ defence held firm and Ivory Coast were restricted to a succession of half-chances. Seko Fofana’s run into a dangerous area was superbly snuffed out by Niakhate and Senegal almost extended their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Ismaila Sarr stumbled over a shooting chance.

Sarr came close again early in the second half but Ivory Coast continued to press through Oumar Diakite, who almost served up a leveller for Jean Philippe Krasso just before the hour mark. The holders missed an even better opportunity in the 74th minute when Kessie’s free-kick was parried by Mendy, who somehow got in the way of the same player’s follow-up from a tight angle. Substitute Nicolas Pepe missed another huge chance when he lashed a curling effort straight at Mendy, but earned his side their crucial penalty four minutes from time when he was tripped by Mendy in the box. Kessie kept his cool to force the additional half-hour and after neither side could break the deadlock, it came down to the shoot-out where the hosts scored all five to seal a famous triumph.

Courtesy: Sky Sports