Mali crashed out of the 2019 Afcon finals after losing 1-0 to Cote d’Ivore on Monday.
Mali had been wasteful with Moussa Marega and Moussa Djenepo both missing good opportunities when well placed.
Mali again dominated most of the game and missed a flurry of chances, and they were punished as Wilfried Zaha in the 76th minute , who had barely featured until that point, pounced on a defensive mix-up. Mali got into a mess from an Ivory Coast goal kick, allowing the Crystal Palace winger to score.
Mali went unbeaten in the group stage and played with attacking energy and skill in the early stages, threatening to take their local rivals apart in the first half but they failed.
Ivory Coast play Algeria in the last eight on Thursday.
The Elephants have won the competition twice – in 1992 and 2015 – but only advanced through this year’s opening phase as runners-up after losing 1-0 to group winners Morocco.
The quarter-final line-up will be completed later tonight as Ghana face Tunisia in Ismailia.
Stay tuned as Happy FM, Ghana’s Number one Sports Station will trill you with comprehensive live commentary and analysis.
Kick-off is at 7:00 PM local time.