Shock in Bamako: Mali Stunned by Ethiopia in AFCON Qualifiers
In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, Mali suffered a 2-3 defeat at home to Ethiopia in the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers. The win was a huge upset for Ethiopia, who had yet to record a victory in the qualifiers until this match. The victory was even more remarkable considering that Ethiopia played with a man down for around 30 minutes after Getaneh Kebede was sent off.
The match saw plenty of action:
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Bakary Sako opened the scoring for Mali in the 32nd minute.
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Oumed Oukri quickly responded for Ethiopia, bringing the match level shortly after.
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Before halftime, Kebede gave Ethiopia the lead, despite being reduced to ten men.
In the second half, Mali fought back:
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Moustapha Yatabaré equalized for Mali, bringing hope to the home fans.
However, in the dying minutes of the game, Abebaw Butako scored the winner for Ethiopia, leaving Mali stunned and their qualification hopes in jeopardy.
Mali will need to regroup as they try to recover from this shocking defeat.