Mali are through to the last eight of the FIFA U17 World Cup after beating Mexico 5-0 during the round of 16 encounter on Tuesday at the Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium in Indonesia.
The dominant Young Eagles dismantled El Tri in an impressive first-half performance, netting four unanswered goals before halftime.
Mahamoud Barry secured a quick-fire brace within four minutes, while Ibrahim Diarra extended the lead after just 15 minutes.
Eight minutes before halftime, Ibrahim Kanate converted from the penalty spot as Mali comfortably entered the break with a substantial lead.
Five minutes into the second half, Ange Martial Tia sealed the victory with a splendid finish.
The West African nation is in pursuit of its first U17 World Cup triumph and will now confront the winner of the match between Morocco and Iran in the quarterfinals.
Morocco will face Iran later today, while Africa’s other representative, Senegal, is set to play against France on Wednesday.
Only Ghana and Nigeria, among African nations, have secured victories in the FIFA U17 World Cup.