Cape Verde had gone five matches without scoring. They scored twice and went out.
Evy Pereira equalised in the 36th minute and Alivia Kelly headed in the 3-2 in the 88th. They were Cape Verde’s first two goals since the 4-2 in Bamako that had knocked Mali out.
Mali won 3-2 and this time knocked them out instead.
Oumou Koné opened the scoring in the 29th minute and Fatoumata Niakaté made it 2-1 in the 50th. Both goals came from an Aissata Traoré pass.
Fatoumata Diarra scored the third in the 79th. She had come on at half-time and she is 40.
Cape Verde had more of the ball than Mali, 55% to 45%, and won more duels, 48 to 43. They lost anyway.
The difference was in the shooting. Mali had 19 attempts to 10 and generated 1.55 expected goals to 0.61.
And it was in the second half. At the interval the two had produced the same, 0.34 to 0.33. After it Mali reached 1.21 and Cape Verde stopped at 0.28.
Neither goalkeeper rescued her side. Fatoumata Karentao conceded 0.84 goals more than the shot model expected, and Jacinta Rodrigues 0.59 more.
Cape Verde played without Kleydiana Borges, who was serving a suspension for the straight red card she was shown in stoppage time against Ghana. Their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations debut was 51 clearances and a single shot on target. They leave with two goals and no points.
For Mali it is a first win in the tournament after the defeat by Cameroon.
Cameroon are through to the quarter-finals. Mali and Ghana, level on three points, will settle second place in the group on 6 August.
