Recalled Ndiaye takes Senegal past 10-man Mali into AFCON semis
Striker Iliman Ndiaye, brought back into the lineup, netted a goal during the opening half to secure a 1-0 win for Senegal against 10-man Mali in Tangiers on Friday during the initial Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final match.
Mali's aspirations suffered a major setback in the added time of the first half when Yves Bissouma received a second yellow card and was dismissed.
The sole goal resulted from an error by Mali's goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, who later pulled off a series of excellent stops to stop Senegal from extending their advantage.
Senegal will now encounter either the defending champions Ivory Coast or the seven-time record holders Egypt in the semi-finals, with their clash scheduled for Saturday.
Just three minutes into the first half, Malian forward Lassine Sinayoko called for a penalty, claiming a foul by Senegal's captain Kalidou Koulibaly, who returned following a one-match ban.
Nevertheless, the South African referee allowed play to continue, and VAR upheld the decision. Replays on the big screen revealed that Sinayoko had simulated the incident.
Mali's captain Bissouma picked up a yellow card halfway through the half for tripping Senegal's experienced striker Sadio Mane, a two-time African player of the year.
Sinayoko then surged forward but was halted by an impressive sliding challenge from Senegal's Krepin Diatta, another player from the French Ligue 1.
The scoreline shifted after 27 minutes on a chilly, overcast night in the coastal city, courtesy of Ndiaye.
Ndiaye played a key role three times in the sequence that led to the goal, as goalkeeper Djigui Diarra let a cross from Krepin Diatta slip beneath him, allowing Ndiaye to fire the rebound into the goal.
Bissouma sent off
Although the goal came as an error, it provided Senegal with a well-earned advantage, having controlled the ball in what was only the second AFCON encounter between the nations. Their previous meeting ended in a draw during the 2004 group stage.
Pape Gueye, who netted a brace for Senegal in their last-16 triumph over Sudan, narrowly missed with a long-range effort.
Once again, in back-to-back knockout games, Mali found themselves down to 10 players before the break, with Bissouma earning a second yellow, then a red card.
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder committed a foul on Idrissa Gueye in the middle of the pitch, and Mali's requests for a VAR review were turned down.
Mali showed remarkable resilience after being reduced to 10 against Tunisia in the round of 16, and that determination shone through once more as the second half unfolded against Senegal.
They nearly equalised on 55 minutes when defender Abdoulaye Diaby pushed up for a free-kick. His effort from close range drew an instinctive save from Senegal's former Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.
Diarra made up for his earlier mistake with a number of brilliant interventions, sustaining Mali's hopes of claiming their first AFCON trophy.
With 15 minutes left in regular time, goalscorer Ndiaye made way for 17-year-old Paris Saint-Germain attacker Ibrahim Mbaye, who had scored the decisive goal against Sudan.
Diarra came to Mali's rescue once more as the clock wound down, denying a shot from replacement Pathe Ciss after he broke away.
The Malian shot-stopper produced yet another fine stop in the seven minutes of added time, tipping over a volley from Lamine Camara.