Zambia forced a dramatic 1-1 draw against Mali after a stoppage-time goal from Patson Daka in their Africa Cup of Nations clash on Monday.
Mali looked set for all three points after dominating large parts of the game, but Zambia stayed in the contest and were rewarded deep into added time.
The first half ended goalless, with Mali controlling possession and creating the clearer chances. The biggest moment before the break came in the 40th minute when Mali were awarded a penalty, but El Bilal Touré failed to convert as Zambian goalkeeper Willard Mwanza made a fine save.
Mali finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through Lassine Sinayoko. Zambia conceded a corner cheaply, and after an initial effort was blocked, Sinayoko reacted quickly to fire the ball into the net and put Mali ahead.
After the goal, Mali pushed for a second, while Zambia struggled to create clear chances from open play. Despite being under pressure, Zambia kept pushing and relied on set pieces and long balls to stay alive.
Their persistence paid off in the second minute of added time. A deep cross from Mathews Banda found Patson Daka, who made a clever run between defenders before diving to head the ball past the goalkeeper.
The late goal stunned Mali and secured a valuable point for Zambia, with the match ending 1-1 at full time.
Mali finished the game as the more attacking side, but Zambia’s resilience and late equaliser ensured the spoils were shared.
