Benin advanced to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history on Friday after beating Morocco 4-1 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in Egypt.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST QUARTER FINALISTS: #LesÉcureuils! #MARBEN #TotalAFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/DQM7c5rzJy
— CAF (@CAF_Online) July 5, 2019
Moise Adilehou gave Benin a shock lead after 53 minutes through a right-foot shot from the center of the box.
هدف ⚽️ أديليهو يفاجئ #أُسُود_الأطلس بالأول في الدقيقة 53!
🇧🇯 1 – 0 🇲🇦#beINAFCON #AFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/la1WJvTz7z
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_MENA) July 5, 2019
Yousef Al Nusairi equalized the scoring in the 75th minute after he fired a left-foot shot from the center of the box past Squirrels’ keeper Fabien Farnolle
هدف ⚽️ يوسف النصيري ينقذ الموقف ويُدرك التعادل لـ #أُسُود_الأطلس!
🇧🇯 1 – 1 🇲🇦#beINAFCON #AFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/a9SOXG7Bn6
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_MENA) July 5, 2019
Ajax’s midfielder Hakim Ziyech’s missed a penalty in the last minute of the second half which was enough for his side to qualify for the last Eight.
لا تعليق يا زياش 🙂#beINAFCON #AFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/yXNvf2Ag1s
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_MENA) July 5, 2019
Squirrels will face either Senegal or Uganda in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Morocco began the game so fiercely as early as after only six minutes when Yousef Al Nusairi fired a right-foot shot from the center of the box kept away by Squirrels’ keeper Fabien Farnolle.
In the 28th minute, Benin’s goalkeeper was brought into action again as his save denied Ajax’s midfielder Hakim Ziyech’s left-foot shot.
Seven minutes later, Ziyech came close to putting his side ahead after he fired a left-foot shot from a direct free kick missed to the right.
Eight minutes after the beginning of the second half, Squirrels’ defender Moise Adilehou opened the scoring to put his side ahead. Atlas Lions’ forward Yousef Al Nusairi then equalized the scoring in the 75th minute of the game.
In the first half of extra time, Squirrels’ defender Khaled Adenon received his second yellow card and was sent off for the closing stages.
Benin’s goalkeeper was brought into action again as his save denied Sofiane Boufal’s right-foot shot.
