CHAN 2022 : Mauritania Progresses To Quarterfinals

Mauritania have qualified for the quarterfinals of the ongoing TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN 2022) in Algeria. They beat Mali 1-0 in their last group D game at the Miloud Hadefi stadium in Oran yesterday January 24, 2022.  The Mauritanians were able to untie the Malian defence and qualify for the knockout stage. Mali finished second with one point. 
It was a tough match as each side needed a victory to progress to the quarterfinals. Match began with both sides determined to grab the three points of the day. Mali began by putting much pressure on the Mauritanians and almost had a chance at the 20th minute but they were pushed back by the Mauritanian defence. Mauritania equally worked hard and had scoring chances but lost them. The Malians had a chance at the 25th minute but their shots went wide. No side was able to score at the first half despite all efforts. Thus, at half time, the score line was 0-0.
On resumption, Mauritania came up much stronger with more initiatives making several attempts to score but lost them. The stalemate continued until the 53rd minute when Mauritania opened scores through a header from Mamadou Sy. The goal served as a booster for the Mauritanians who increased pressure on their opponents in an attempt to increase scores to have peace of mind. Mali, desperate to...