Here is that piece, which concludes our coverage for the evening. It’s been very fun – thanks for joining us, as always.

A night to remember for Mali.

We’ll shortly bring you Jonathan Wilson’s analysis of that madcap evening of Afcon… which should be worth sticking around for.

So, Mali will face Senegal in the quarter-final on 9 January.

A reminder that Mali haven’t won, or lost, a game in 90 minutes in this tournament. Four successive draws is good enough for a spot in the last eight for Tom Saintfiet’s side.

Mali simply found a way to win!

They were reduced to 10 men after 27 minutes, they went 1-0 down in the 88th minute and scored their equaliser in the 96th minute, after the allotted added time had surpassed… they then had to cling on through extra-time to force penalties, and had goalkeeper Djigui Diarra to thank for two brilliant saves in the shootout.

Heartbreak for Tunisia. They should have put Mali away within the 120 minutes and have been punished for failing to do so.

Tunisia 2-2 Mali (pens): Romdhane is under pressure to score here… and Diarra makes another fine save! Brilliant from the goalkeeper, and it’s now match-point to Mali.

Tunisia 2-2 Mali (pens): Diakhite is next for Mali and coolly scores to put the teams back on an even keel.

Four taken each.

Tunisia 2-1 Mali (pens): Another miss! Diarra guesses the right way to save from Elias Achouri. This shootout has had everything!

Three penalties have been taken by each team now.

Tunisia 2-1 Mali (pens): Nene Dorgeles smashes his penalty off the post! Tunisia have their advantage back.

Tunisia 2-1 Mali (pens): Elias Saad is next for Tunisia and rolls a lovely effort low into the corner, sending Diarra the wrong way.

Tunisia 1-1 Mali (pens): Sinayoko scored a penalty earlier in the evening and he scores, tucked neatly into the corner.

Tunisia 1-0 Mali (pens): Ali Abdi steps up for Tunisia and he produces a carbon copy of the Bissouma effort. Smashed high and not very handsome, over the bar. Good grief.

Tunisia 1-0 Mali (pens): Mali captain Yves Bissouma is up next and the Spurs midfielder MISSES! A terrible penalty that is blazed miles into the night sky.

A nightmare start for Mali.

Tunisia 1-0 Mali (pens): Meriah smashes his kick high into the top corner. Superb penalty.

The first penalty will be taken by the man at the centre of so much action/drama/chaos tonight, Tunisia’s Yassine Meriah …

Mali will doubtlessly be the happier of the teams, having ground it out with 10 men for nigh-on 100 minutes. Tunisia have to lift themselves off the canvas for the shootout.

Who will be brave enough to step up? This should be fun.

ET 30 mins +1: Ben Ali concedes a silly free-kick from a Tunisian perspective, which will allow Mali to put a ball into the box late on.

Can they steal victory here?

ET 30 mins: Nene Dorgeles again drags Mali forward on the counterattack but Diakite cannot supply a cross, despite having a bit of time to do so from the left.

These chances on the break keep coming for Tom Saintfiet’s team.

Two added minutes to come.

ET 28 mins: It’s unfair to say Mali are hanging on for penalties here, but they don’t mind these delays, that’s for sure.

We should get a few minutes of extra-time added time.

ET 26 mins: Lassana Coulibaly cannot continue and he’s been replaced by Hamari Traoré.

It’s a surprise that the Mali captain hasn’t been introduced earlier, but he should bolster the defence for the final stages.

Into the final five minutes… will we get a winning goal, or is this chaotic tie destined for penalties?

ET 24 mins: Ali Abdi kicks thin air after a cleverly-worked free-kick by Tunisia. He was presented with lots of space, but couldn’t get any contact when it mattered.

ET 22 mins: Or maybe someone else got that yellow just now… it’s not been made clear to us.

Meanwhile, Tunisia continue to press…

Has Yassine Meriah has been shown a second yellow? He should be off… but he remains on the pitch with no sign of a red card being brandished by Abongile Tom. What is going on here?

Meriah hasn’t had the best of evenings. It was he who conceded the penalty for Mali’s equaliser…

Information is coming through now that he wasn’t actually on a yellow card initially. Chaos.

ET 18 mins: After a VAR delay, the goal has indeed been chalked off. It was just a question of whether Firas Chaouat was offside. He was the man who met the powerful ball across and tucked it home… it was very close but probably the right call.

We’re back up and running and within 35 seconds Tunisia have the ball in the net, but Firas Chaouat has been flagged offside after putting a cutback from the left into the goal.

This will be checked. It’s tighter than it seems …

That’s half-time in extra time. It’s still 1-1 as the exhausted players grab a quick drink and prepare for the final furlong.

ET 15 mins: You have to marvel at the work rate and determination of this Mali team. They’ve had a man less for almost 80 minutes now.

We’re added time at the end of the first half of extra time… as Diarra storms out to collect a dangerous bouncing ball.

ET 12 mins: Saad is knitting things together nicely for Tunisia now. It’s worked back to the centre-back Meriah to thunder a drilled shot towards goal, which is wide.

ET 10 mins: Conditions are getting wetter and colder as the elements set in.

Space is starting to open up for both teams amid tiring limbs. Surely that benefits the 11 men of Tunisia?

ET 8 mins: Better from Tunisia, as Valery plays a well-weighted ball into the channel and Sassi cuts it back into the danger zone – but nobody can quite get to the ball.

It’s then worked to Abdi to shoot from the left with Diarra sprawling to make a decent stop.

Mali are appealing for another handball and another penalty as Sinayoko lashes a shot at goal but the referee dismisses the appeals on this occasion.

Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place.

ET 5 mins: It’s no surprise that Tunisia are still bossing the ball. Again however, they’re doing very little with it.

ET 2 mins: Mali look completely reinvigorated. In fairness, ever since Nene Dorgeles was introduced up front, they’ve retained an outlet on the counterattack that never diminished, but they appeared down and out after Chaouat’s header.

What a difference a goal makes.

I enjoyed this email from Peter Oh. Note the spelling:

I can trust the Guardian to deliver balanced coverage of the dramatic late equaliser, but I reckon the Daily Mali won’t be so impartial.

Extra time is under way.

The rain is now teeming down in Casablanca.

FT: Mali 1-1 Tunisia.

I’m still not sure how we’ve had two goals in this game. It certainly didn’t appear that way with the score still locked at 0-0 with 87 minutes on the clock.

Anyone fancy 30 more minutes of this? That’s what we’re getting. Time for everyone to catch their breath.

90 mins +5: We’ve ticked beyond the allotted four minutes of added time. The more replays of that Meriah handball they show, they more it looks like a penalty actually.

The referee has given it for handball against Meriah, I believe. It’s a pretty tough call on Tunisia, but the ball definitely touched his arm as he blocked the free-kick.

It’s going to take a while for Mr Tom to clear away the protesting Tunisia players and get this taken. VAR is checking it, of course.

PENALTY TO MALI!

What on earth is going on here? We had 88 minutes of very few chances, very few shots. But we may get two late goals!

90 mins +1: Sangare steams through the middle trying to get Mali going again. He is inevitably hauled back by Meriah, who gets a booking – but who will care not one jot.

Free-kick to Mali.

You wouldn’t say ‘it was coming’ but Tunisia have certainly been the superior side, helped by that man advantage.

All of Mali’s hard work in defence was undone in that one moment. They have just four minutes of added time to somehow find a late leveller.

Hannibal Mejbri is being substituted, with Mohamed Ben Romdhane coming into the midfield. I find it slightly odd that Trabelsi would remove the Burnley man at this stage.

84 mins: Tunisia keep halting their own momentum with silly fouls…

This latest one allows Mali to batter the ball downfield and tick a few more seconds away. Extra-time is looking a good bet right now.

82 mins: A tricky, jinking run from Elias Saad ends with another shot at Diarra’s goal but it’s a scuffed shot that was never going to trouble the keeper.

80 mins: Heading into the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time as Diarra clings on to another cross. Precious seconds are wasted by Mali.

Oh my Diarra nearly made a horrible mess of that save, as Mejbri went for the near post and the Mali goalkeeper had to sidestep across his goal and parry it away for a corner.

That’s the closest we’ve come, and it came via an innovative free-kick idea from Hannibal Mejbri.

78 mins: It’s all still very scruffy as a frustrated-looking Mejbri goes to ground, winning a free-kick.

Can he provide the telling delivery here?

75 mins: Valery skips down the right once more but again his cross fails to find a white shirt.

73 mins: Tunisia just haven’t been able to exert enough control over the midfield area to generate the required volume of chances.

Mejbri has been bright but he’s not a tempo-dictator. He’s all cut and thrust.

71 mins: Oh what a waste. Dante was standing over a decent free-kick opening but blazed his left-footed effort miles over the crossbar.

There’s been hardly a shot on target for either team in this contest… zero to be precise.

A double change as Elias Saad and Firas Chaouat are introduced for Tunisia. Two attack-minded players in Hazem Mastouri – who has been near-anonymous – and Ismael Gharbi are withdrawn.

68 mins: Mali continue to commit the occasional ‘smart foul’ to ensure the game is stop-start and they can regroup into their 4-4-1 shape.

Trabelsi is readying some more substitutes for Tunisia.

66 mins: Tunisia will be kicking themselves if they go on playing like this and fail to score. They’ve really been unable to get a grip on the game.

63 mins: Now Dorgeles is played into space and smashes a shot towards goal, albeit way over the bar, with his left foot.

But Mali are gaining belief thanks to the substitute’s impact.

61 mins: Super play from Nene Dorgeles. A burst of speed saw the Mali substitute tear away from Ali Abdi, who had no choice but to bring him down to scupper the counterattack. That’s what Dorgeles can offer.

60 mins: The Mali players are remonstrating with Mejbri again. The Tunisian playmaker went over quite easily in the box looking for a penalty, and he’s been booked for simulation.

The touch on him was minimal.

58 mins: Mali are bringing on Nene Dorgeles. They need an attacking outlet and his pace and trickery ought to provide that. The past few minutes have been dominated by Tunisia.

55 mins: An acrobatic clearance from Diaby concedes another corner. Tunisia are finally turning the screw.

54 mins: Abdoulaye Diaby has been totemic at the back for Mali so far tonight. After nodding away one Mejbri corner, he watches Diarra come and punch after another corner is worked short and eventually crossed.

52 mins: Do Tunisia know they’ve got an extra player? They’re not really using the numerical advantage… it’s hardly a case of banging the door down. Diarra watches a cross spin into the side netting, albeit via a deflection.

49 mins: Valery again gets forward on the overlap and plays it nicely inside to Sassi, who shows good feet, but again Tunisia cannot quite work the shot as Mali shuttle back to block and snuff it out.

48 mins: Mali are now settling into a 4-4-1 shape and sitting a little deeper than in the first half, hoping again to unsettle and disrupt Tunisia.

1 minute 15 seconds is the answer, as Sassi trips Mamadou Sangare and Mali send in a long free-kick into the Tunisian box, which comes to nothing.

I’m going to count the number of second half seconds we get before a foul is committed.

Surely it won’t be too many.

Second half: We’re back under way.

Tunisia have brought Elias Achouri on at half-time, replacing Mahmoud, who had been booked and was fairly ineffectual.

When a game finally breaks out in the second half – and you can only assume it will, if Tunisia are smart and sensible – Trabelsi’s men ought to make their one-man advantage count. They showed in first half flashes some of the quality they possess, but have been disrupted by an uber-physical Mali side.

A bedraggled-looking Saintfiet, the Mali manager, has been ranting and raving on the touchline. That red card will not have pleased him, but he won’t mind the current scoreline, nor his players’ commitment levels.

Mali are ending the first half in the ascendancy. First a Dante long throw is headed away, then it’s a corner…

But a back-header from Camara is tame and easily collected.

45 mins + 4: Finally Tunisia are able to string some passes together and restore some tempo to their football – as they exhibited early on against 11 men. In terms of chance creation, however, they are still lacking.

45 mins + 2: Nearly an opportunity for Belhadj Mahmoud who tries to latch onto Mejbri’s cross, but Mali are let off the hook as the Tunisia striker is penalised for a push.

Six minutes of added time.

Mejbri, who is engaged in animated chat with the Mali players, is the culprit this time, accused of elbowing Lassine Sinayoko. It was probably just a shoulder barge. The referee Mr Tom tries to restore some semblance of calm as the game finally resumes.

More delays, more fouls …

We can expect a fair chunk of first-half added time.

41 mins: Diarra rushed out to try and punch that free-kick, got nowhere near it – and received a blow to the head for his troubles – but Mali escape in any case as the officials spot an infringement.

Getting to the break goalless would be a win for Mali at this point.

40 mins: Mejbri is once again the recipient of a late and reckless Malian tackle, writhing around in pain, but the referee Mr Tom is reluctant to whip out the yellow card on this occasion. Lassana Coulibaly can consider himself lucky.

Free-kick to Tunisia just outside the box on the left flank. Time to create that big moment?

37 mins: Tunisia have not tested Djigui Diarra in the Mali goal. Trabelsi will be eager to address that at half-time if it stays 0-0.

35 mins: The free-kick was wasted by Mali, but they’ve actually responded pretty well to going a man down, bravely pressing from the front and looking to upset the Tunisian rhythm.

Whether that’s a sustainable approach, we shall see …

Bissouma buys a foul on the far right touchline and Mali ought to send this deep into the box. Set-pieces may be their only hope now.

32 mins: Tunisia are upping the ante here. Mali, relying on counterattacks, will get little to no respite as the team in white dominate territory and possession. And most of it is going through that man Mejbri, who has been impressive so far.

Nearly half an hour gone and this has been chaos. At what point do you question the tactics from Tom Saintfiet and Mali?

Defending against this Tunisian side with 10 men will be tough. Very tough.

28 mins: A second red card in as many Afcon games for Mali. There is showing intent and being physically up for the challenge… but there is also a line you cannot cross.

VAR are reviewing this but it’s not going to be overturned.

Tunisia’s Mohamed Belhadj Mahmoud is now booked. Not sure why. That was barely a foul.

22 mins: Hanniabl Mejbri, Sideshow Bob hairstyle and all, delivers a free-kick from the right and it causes chaos in the Mali box.

It was whipped in with speed by the Burnley man and Talbi rose highest, but couldn’t get enough contact on it and eventually Mali clear.

20 mins: When the game isn’t being paused for a foul, Tunisia are playing some lovely stuff. Valery and Ali Abdi have been stationed high and wide as full-backs and they’re seeing plenty of the ball, stretching Mali.

“We always knew this would be a physical contest,” says the Channel4 commentator… which is an understatement of massive proportions so far.

Goodness me, a third yellow card is shown… we haven’t even had 20 minutes yet. To be fair, Yves Bissouma did go quite high with his foot while tackling Valery, so the Mali midfielder does merit that booking.

15 mins: A wild and completely unnecessary punch from Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen almost works in his team’s favour, the ball flying downfield, flicked-on and nearly bringing about a one-v-one in the Malian half. Fortunately for Mali the offside flag was raised.

14 mins: Mali enjoy a spell of possession and it brings a corner, although Lassana Coulibaly is down with a knock.

12 mins: The first proper shot of the game is unleashed from the potent left foot of Ismael Gharbi, and whizzes just wide.

11 mins: Tunisia may be forced into an early change here. Bronn has gone down and stayed down under no pressure – a possible hamstring or muscle tweak perhaps as he landed.

Yep, he’s off. The experienced Yassine Meriah has replaced Bronn at centre-back.

8 mins: It’s very physical, very feisty, but also very stop-start so far in this last-16 encounter. So just what you’d expect – and want – from an Afcon knockout clash.

7 mins: A second yellow card is brandished by South African referee Abongile Tom, this one for Dylan Bronn of Tunisia for a cynical trip.

No messing about from the man in the middle.

5 mins: Tunisia are just moving the ball far too quickly for Mali to cope. Mejbri won a free-kick there, it was taken quickly and Mastouri was then lurking to convert the cross from the left, which was just about blocked.

3 mins: I’d suggest, even though it’s very early in this game, that Mali are going to have to do plenty of defending this evening.

Sami Trabelsi waves and points on the sidelines – the Tunisian boss must be happy with this start, as Mali’s Mahamadou Doumbia is booked already.

1 mins: Tunisia are quick out of the blocks, pressing high to win the ball and sending in a couple of crosses via Valery on the right. No time being wasted by them.

Before we kick off, there’s enough time to me to bring this story to your attention. One regular day of Afcon etc etc …

Mali are in that unique situation of now being able to go all the way in a major tournament without actually winning in 90 minutes. Their Belgian head coach Tom Saintfiet has bags of Afcon experience – Google his CV! – and has turned them into a seriously tough nut to crack.

Mali have never triumphed at Afcon but they’ve enjoyed runs into the knockout stages at six of the past eight tournaments. An improving footballing nation.

Here’s our other current live football offering, with Bournemouth v Arsenal well-poised at the outset of the second half.

Barry Glendenning is your man for updates etc.

Senegal 3-1 Sudan: In the first of the last-16 ties earlier today, Senegal fought back after going 1-0 down early to breeze past Sudan, thanks to Pape Gueye scoring twice. Paris St-Germain teenager Ibrahim Mbaye was also on the scoresheet for the Senegalese, who await the winner of this game in the quarter-finals.

As for the rest of the last-16 lineup, here’s our handy guide to the games.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into those teams.

The big news from a Malian perspective is the absence of key midfielder Amadou Haidara, who is suspended after being sent off late in their goalless draw with Comoros for a dangerous tackle. Aliou Dieng comes in to partner Yves Bissouma in the engine room.

Tunisian fans were concerned about the fitness of Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane at the back after he appeared to pick up a knee injury in their defeat to Nigeria. And he has only been deemed fit enough to make the bench. Meanwhile the experienced Ferjani Sassi comes into the frontline, with Copenhagen’s Elias Achouri making way.

As well as Bissouma, other names familiar to UK viewers will be Tunisia’s right-back Yan Valery, now of Sheffield Wednesday and formerly Southampton, and Burnley’s volatile midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.