A new champion will be crowned at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast next month. The title holder has failed to reach the quarter-finals for a seventh consecutive AFCON.

On Monday night the hosts, Ivory Coast, eliminated the defending champions, Senegal. The Elephants beat the Lions of Teranga 5-4 on penalties to advance to the quarter-finals after this game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Senekal took an early lead in the 4th minute when a brilliant cross by Sadio Mane found Habib Diallo, who calmly fired the ball into the top corner.

The hosts levelled matters in the 86th minute with a penalty by the former AC Milan and Barcelona midfielder, Franck Kessié, to force the game into extra-time and then a penalty shootout.

In Last night’s other round of 16 tie, Cape Verde beat Mauritania 1-0.  The match was headed for extra-time, but the deadlock was broken just two minutes from the end of regulation time when Ryan Mendes handed Cape Verde the lead and the win with a penalty.

On Tuesday night at 19:00 Mali will face Burkina Faso and the winner of this game will take on Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals, while at 22:00 it's the big one with Morocco up against Bafana Bafana.

The Bafana coach, Hugo Broos, said there is no reason why they can't beat the Atlas Lions.

“It is possible and we did it last year in June, in Johannesburg, when we beat Morocco,” said Broos.

“It's not because you have the best players and maybe you're the best team that you'll win the game.

“You've seen the surprises in the previous weeks, so we'll try to do the same.”

The winner of this game will face Cape Verde in the quarter-finals.

Quarter-finals:

2 February:

19:00 - Nigeria vs. Angola

22:00 - DR Congo vs. Guinea

3 February:

19:00 - Mali/Burkina Faso vs. Ivory Coast

22:00 - Cape Verde vs. South Africa/Morocco

Morgan Piek OFM Sport