Following the team’s quarter-final exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, Tunisia welcomes Mali to the Stade du 26 Mars for their first leg World Cup playoff fixture this Friday, with kickoff at 8 pm.
Mali’s Africa Cup of Nations dreams came to an end on January 26 when they suffered a penalty shoot-out defeat to Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals.
This followed an unbeaten run in the group stages, where they won two and drew one of their three games to collect seven points and finish top of Group F, only above the Gambia on goal difference.
Mali will look to pick up where they dropped off in the World Cup qualifiers, where they have enjoyed a spectacular run, progressing to the playoffs round after finishing top of Group E.
Mohamed Magassouba’s men secured five wins and one draw from six games in the group stage, which earned them 16 points. They finished with seven points above second-placed Uganda.
However, Tunisia finished at the top of Group B with four wins and one draw from their six games. The Carthage Eagles enter Friday’s quarter-final against Equatorial Guinea after a disappointing loss in the Africa Cup of Nations when Dango Ouattara scored from a free-kick to put Burkina Faso in the semi-final.
Mali vs. Tunisia Head to Head
Both sides have six games against each other, with hosts taking three wins while visitors with two wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Mali 0-0 Equatorial Guinea
- Mali 2-0 Mauritania
- Gambia 1-1 Mali
- Tunisia 0-1 Mali
- Malawi 2-0 Mali
Away
- Burkina Faso 1-0 Tunisia
- Nigeria 0-1 Tunisia
- Gambia 1-0 Tunisia
- Tunisia 4-0 Mauritania
- Tunisia 0-1 Mali
Mali Team News
The Burkina Faso national football team has called up 28 players for the upcoming double-header against Tunisia, including Southampton forward Moussa Djenepo, goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, who has 48 senior caps to his name, and Lorient’s Ibrahima Kone.
Tunisia Team News
Kadri named a squad similar to the one that competed in the recent Africa Cup of Nations, including veteran forward Wahbi Khazri. The Saint-Etienne man, who is second in the nation’s top scorers list with 24 goals, should spearhead the attack, teaming up with Youssef Msakni, who has 15 international goals.
Prediction and Odds
In Tunisia’s latest games, the team has struggled for consistency, losing four of its last six matches.
- Mali Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
