Ivory Coast send defending champions Senegal out of Cup of Nations

The Teranga Lions of Senegal have crashed out of the African Cup of Nations after losing 5-4 on penalties to hosts, Ivory Coast.

Regulation time and extra time ended 1-1 but Moussa Niakhate crashed his kick against the post as the Ivorians, who got to this stage as one of the third-best teams in the group stage, won in dramatic fashion.

Senegal’s Habib Diallo scored after four minutes but Ivorian substitute Franck Kessie equalised off a penalty four minutes from the end of regular time in Yamoussoukro.

Kessie was the shootout hero again, converting the decisive kick to send The Elephants to the quarter-finals

Senegal comfortably beat the Gambia, Cameroon, and Guinea to top Group D, and were the only section winners to progress having secured a maximum of nine points.

Ivory Coast managed only three points after also losing to Nigeria and had a minus-three goal difference but still squeezed through as the last of the four best third-placed countries.