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Show me the Mali as ‘magic man’ tips the scale against Tunisia
Cape Times
|January 05, 2026
IN the aftermath of their shock victory against Tunisia in Morocco on Saturday night, Mali reportedly splashed out 3 million francs on their ‘magic man’ to ensure that fortune swings in their favour in the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Mali seemed doomed when Woyo Coulibaly was shown a red card in the 26th minute, leaving Mali to play with 10 men for most of the match against the higher-ranked Tunisia.
After Tunisia took the lead in the 88th minute, Mali’s mystical effort came to the fore seven minutes into stoppage time with a sensational penalty to force the match into extra time.
Mali’s conquest was one of the intriguing talking points at AFCON.
Herculean drawcards
In an extraordinary achievement, Mali has reached the quarterfinals of AFCON 2025 without a single win after four matches in Morocco.
Mali finished their three-group stage matches with as many stalemates, including one against Morocco, the world’s No. 11-ranked team.
In Saturday's last 16 match against Tunisia, the 10-man Mali held out for yet another draw (1-1).
In the penalty shootout, Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra was the hero of the day with two saves in the penalty shootout, ensuring a 3-2 win for his country.
This story is from the January 05, 2026 edition of Cape Times.
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