AFCON 2023: How Mane made history despite Senegal’s shock elimination

Despite Senegal getting knocked out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Sadio Mane made history during their match against Ivory Coast.

Teranga Lions were knocked out of the competition in the Round of 16 through penalty shootouts. Senegal took the lead before a late equaliser by the Elephants, which forced the match to end in a 1-1 draw during regulation time.

The hosts managed a 5-4 win over the reigning champions, but as Senegal headed home, Mane made history with his effort in the game.

According to Opta Stats, Mane delivered his third assist in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the highest tally for a player from Senegal at a single edition since Opta collected this data (2010).

Since Mane’s debut in the competition in 2015, he has been involved in seven goals in the knockout phase (three goals, four assists), more than any other player over that period.

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Meanwhile, Ivory Coast have played their 11th penalty shoot-out in the Africa Cup of Nations, more than any other team in the competition. They have won five of these 11 shoot-outs, with only Egypt having a higher tally (6).

The Elephants have reached the quarterfinals of an Africa Cup of Nations edition for the 11th time in their history, with no team having played more quarter-finals in the competition (Ghana, Tunisia, and Nigeria are also at 11 each).

Senegal will not be playing in the quarterfinals of an Africa Cup of Nations edition for the first time since 2015 (eliminated in the group stage). This is the seventh consecutive edition in which the title holder have failed to reach the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations. The last team to reach this stage of the competition was Egypt in 2010.

Habib Diallo’s goal after 4 minutes was the earliest Ivory Coast had conceded in an Africa Cup of Nations game since Rashidi Yekini’s goal against Nigeria in 1990 (third minute). It was also the earliest goal conceded by a host nation in an AFCON match since the one conceded by Ethiopia against DR Congo in the 1968 semi-final (third minute).

Scoring after three minutes and fifteen seconds, Habib Diallo has scored Senegal’s earliest goal in a knockout game at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Franck Kessie is the first Ivory Coast player to score a penalty goal in the Africa Cup of Nations since Didier Drogba in 2006 against Morocco and the first to do so in a knockout game since Lucien Kassi-Kouadio, also against Morocco in the match for third place in the 1986 edition.

Ivory Coast midfielder Seri has completed 95.5% of his passes against Senegal (63/66). Of the players who have attempted at least 60 passes in a game since 2010, only Anicet Abel, with Madagascar against Tunisia in the quarterfinals of the 2019 edition, has had a higher percentage in an Africa Cup of Nations knockout game (96.9%).