Mali and South Africa open their campaigns at the ongoing delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in cote d’Ivoire when they face-off in Group E at the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly on Tuesday.
The two sides have met on five occasions over the last two decades with both teams winning twice respectively and they’ve been deadlocked in one fixture.
However, the recent victories have come for South Africa, beating the West African opponents 2-1 and 3-0 in their last two games. Bafana Bafana’s current form is a worry though. They were held to a goalless draw by their neighbours Lesotho in a warm-up match last Wednesday and won just one game in their last five matches.
Mali, on the other hand, have been scintillating. They’ve won four of their last five international matches, including a 6-2 thumping of Guinea-Bissau in preparation for the AFCON.
South Africa after winning the tournament they hosted in 1996, have flattered to deceive and eventually fell behind in the winner’s conversation. However, their Belgian Coach Hugo Broos won the tournament in 2017 with Cameroon and will be hoping to repeat that success with Bafana Bafana.
Mali are AFCON regulars and this is their 13th participation at the tournament, including their ninth in a row; no side has played as many games as Mali (54) at the tournament without ever winning the trophy. Their best performance dates back to 1972 when they lost 3-2 in the final against Congo. But Coach Eric Chelle will be hoping his players use their experiences from abroad to challenge for this year’s crown.
Head-to-Head and Form
– There have been five meetings between the two teams.
– Both sides have won two games apiece while their other meeting ended in a draw.
– The two sides last faced off in a friendly clash back in October 2019 which South Africa won 2-1.
– Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in their last three games in this fixture, a run dating back to 2014.
– Mali are without a clean sheet in their last four matches across all competitions.
– South Africa have failed to score any goals in five of their last eight games across all competitions.
– Mali were ranked 51st in the latest FIFA rankings and now sit 15 places above their opponents.
