In a surprising turn of events at the 2014 African Nations Championship, Zimbabwe secured a relatively easy victory against Mali in the quarter-finals (2-1). Despite Mali being the favorite and having a flawless performance in the group stage, they struggled against Zimbabwe, who had only scored one goal in the previous stage.
Zimbabwe took the lead early on in the 12th minute, as Simba Sitholé capitalized on Samaké’s hesitation, deceiving Diakhité. Maintaining their advantage into halftime, Zimbabwe continued to impress.
In the second half, Mali attempted a comeback, but Kuda Mahachi’s solo effort extended Zimbabwe’s lead. Despite Hamidou Sinayoko managing to score for Mali in the 89th minute, it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
In the first quarter-final, Nigeria and Morocco delivered an entertaining match that ended in a 4-3 scoreline after overtime, with the Super Eagles ultimately advancing to the semi-finals.
On Sunday, Ghana is set to face DR Congo, while Gabon will take on Libya in the remaining quarter-final matchups.
