Daka Saves Zambia Late In Afcon Draw With Mali

Patson Daka scored a dramatic 92nd-minute equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Zambia against Mali in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday night in Casablanca.

The result continued Zambia’s decent recent record against Mali, with the Copper Bullets now losing just once in their last six meetings with the West Africans, despite spending large spells of the match under pressure.

Mali began the contest on the front foot and created the first real chance as early as the fifth minute. Dorgeles Nene found space inside the penalty area but dragged his effort narrowly wide, setting the tone for what was largely a dominant Malian performance.

The first half lacked fluency and clear chances, with both sides struggling for attacking rhythm. Zambia relied heavily on their defensive organisation, and Benson Sakala produced a crucial intervention midway through the half, timing his tackle perfectly to deny Lassine Sinayoko a clean strike from the edge of the area.

Just before the break, Mali were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Nene was fouled inside the box by Mathews Banda. After a VAR review, a penalty was awarded, but El Bilal Toure failed to capitalise as goalkeeper Willard Mwanza guessed correctly and dived low to his left to make an excellent save.

Zambia offered very little going forward after the restart and did not register a shot until the 73rd minute, but they remained compact at the back. Mali’s pressure eventually told just after the hour mark following a corner. The ball fell to Toure in a crowded area, Sinayoko saw his first effort blocked, but he reacted quickest to fire home from close range at the second attempt.

Mali pushed for a second goal, with Gaoussou Diarra forcing another save from Mwanza, and appeared on course for a deserved victory as Zambia struggled to threaten in the final third.

However, the Copper Bullets produced a stunning late response. In the second minute of stoppage time, Banda delivered a cross into the box and Daka threw himself at the ball, guiding a close-range header into the net to spark wild celebrations among the Zambian supporters.

The late equaliser left Mali to rue their missed opportunities, particularly the first-half penalty. While they extended their unbeaten run in AFCON opening matches to 14 games, the draw immediately leaves them playing catch-up behind group leaders Morocco.

Zambia, meanwhile, ended a long run of AFCON defeats and earned an unlikely point that could prove vital in a tough Group A. Mali face Morocco next in Rabat on Friday, while Zambia turn their attention to a crucial clash against Comoros as they look to build on this fighting display.