Mali and Tunisia meet in the first knockout round of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, with both sides targeting a place in the quarterfinals.
Join SportPremi as we provide more insight on the team news, prediction and match preview of the January 3rd clash at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
Match Preview
Mali incredibly qualified for the round of 16 without recording a single victory in Group A. They finished in second spot with three points from their group games, after recording stalemates in all matches.
The Eagles started off with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Zambia, before snatching an impressive point in their second game against host nation Morocco.
Mali then recorded another goalless draw against Comoros in their final group match to progress to the next round, although it is highly unlikely they can go all the way to win a first-ever AFCON title in Morocco.
Tunisia, on the other hand, made up for a shock group stage exit in Ivory Coast two years ago by sealing progress to the knockout rounds from Group C, finishing second behind Nigeria.
The Carthage Eagles started off brightly, thrashing Uganda 3-1, but were defeated in their second game by Nigeria, falling short of an incredible comeback from a three-goal deficit.
A 1-1 draw with Tanzania in their final match secured their place in the round of 16 and a date against Mali.
Head to Head Record
20.01.2024 – Tunisia 1-1 Mali (2023 African Cup of Nations tournament)
29.03.2022 – Tunisia 0-0 Mali (2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers)
25.03.2022 – Mali 0-1 Tunisia (2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers)
12.01.2022 – Tunisia 0-1 Mali (2021 African Cup of Nations tournament)
This matchup has been evenly balanced in recent meetings and both teams played out a 1-1 draw in their meeting at the last AFCON tournament.
Form: Mali
Mali are winless so far at the 2025 African Cup of Nations, but they have also not lost a single match so far.
The Eagles have kept only one clean sheet from their three matches and have scored twice as well, conceding two goals.
Form: Tunisia
Tunisia defeated Uganda 3-1 in their opening fixture at the tournament, but are winless in their last two outings, including a 3-2 defeat to Nigeria.
The Carthage Eagles’ attack has been very impressive, scoring six goals so far, but they could not keep a single clean sheet during the group phase as they conceded five times in three matches.
Team News: Mali
Mali will be without the services of midfielder Amadou Haidara for this crunch clash after his controversial sending off against Comoros in their last match.
Head coach Tom Saintfiet, who has criticized CAF changes on the AFCON tournament, will be expected to name a stronger lineup than the starting team in their final group match.
Predicted Lineups: Diarra (GK), W.Coulibally, Diaby, O. Camara, Gassama, Dieng, Doumbia, L.Coulibaly, Sangare, Bissouma, Sinayoko.
Team News: Tunisia
Tunisia have a fit squad to choose from and have been boosted by the return of star forward Elias Achouri, who came off in their final group game against Tanzania.
Predicted Lineups: Dahmen (GK), Abdi, Talbi, Bronn, Valery, Skhiri, Gharbi, Mejbri, Achouri, Tounekti, Mastouri.
SportPremi Prediction:
Mali 1-2 Tunisia
Mali were fortunate to progress beyond the group stage without winning a single game, but their luck is set to run out against Tunisia, whose strong attacking firepower should be enough to win the match.
