DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who until Sunday night had not taken a penalty in his senior career, was the man tasked to dispatch his nation’s most important kick to send The Leopards through to the quarter finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.Stepping up he did, and so did he expertly take the tie’s 18th penalty, sealing DR Congo’s win over Egypt 8-7 on spot kicks after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes.AFCON 2023: Egypt are out after another penalty shootout defeatLeading to that moment, he stood in goal to repel Mohamed Gabaski’s kick.”I tried to stay calm,” Mpasi told CAF Online on the aforementioned penalty save. “I tried to distract Gabaski from his shot and I succeeded. “After that, I concentrated on getting my technique right.”Just look at that smile from Lionel Mpasi before he sent DR Congo into the last 8 of the #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/dghSvePdt2— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) January 28, 2024 Seeing the net ripple before wheeling off to the DR Congo fans at Stade de San Pedro Stadium, it seems, was not just a one-shot wonder.”Before my shot, I thought about how I had missed in training, but tonight it worked,” he added.With a quarter final tie against Guinea on Friday up next for the two time champions, Mpasi is hoping that his country will repeat their success in the 2009 CHAN tournament held in Ivory Coast by winning the AFCON title.##NAJAVA_MECA_7828085##”We’re already going to rest well and then we’ll take it match after match,” Mpasi mentioned. “All this without forgetting that DR Congo won a continental title in Côte d’Ivoire (CHAN in 2009). “Maybe that’s a sign.” Friday night’s game takes place from 2300 EAT at Alassane Ouattara Stadium.AFCON 2023 – LAST 16SaturdayAngola – Namibia 3-0 (2-0)/Dala 38, 43 Mabululu 66/Nigeria – Cameroon 1-0 (0-0)/Lookman 36/SundayEquatorial Guinea – Guinea 0-1 (0-0)/Bayo 90+8/Egypt – Dr Congo 1-1 (1-1) penalties /Mohamed (p) 45+1 – Elia 37/Monday20:00: (2.00) Cape Verde (3.20) Mauritania (4.20)23:00: (2.35) Senegal (3.10) Ivory Coast (3.30)Tuesday20:00: (2.30) Mali (3.10) Burkina Faso (3.40)23:00: (1.62) Morocco (3.50) S.Africa (6.50)***odds are subject to change***
