Mali and South Africa will face off in their opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Both sides have been housed in Group E of the continental showpiece and will go head to head with Namibia and 2004 champions Tunisia for a place in the knockout stages.
Having enjoyed a stellar qualifying campaign, Mali will be making their 13th appearance in the Nations Cup, including a ninth on a roll since missing out in 2006.
The West African nation journeyed to Ivory Coast as the country to have played the most AFCON games (54) without ever winning the tournament, with their best finish coming in 1972, when they finished as runners-up after losing 3-2 against Congo.
The Eagles head into Tuesday’s group opener unbeaten in each of their last seven matches across all competitions, claiming six wins and one draw since June 2023 - a stats which sees them sit second in Group I of the World Cup qualifiers.
Eric Chelle's men will be aiming to carry on with their current momentum as they cruised to a 6-2 victory over Guinea-Bissau in their pre-AFCON warm-up friendly two Saturdays ago.
They will get underway in Ivory Coast on high spirits as they take on a South Africa side who they have gotten the better of in their two previous AFCON meetings.
Both victories came in the quarter-finals, first in 2002 when they stunned the Bafana Bafana 2-0 at the Venue Stade Abdoulaye Nakoro Cissoko and most recently in 2013, when they claimed a 3-1 win on penalties after a 1-1 draw in extra-time.
South Africa on the other hand, making their 11th AFCON appearance, as they are returning to the tournament for the first time since 2019, having failed to secure a place in Egypt two years ago.
Hugo Broos's charges reached the quarter-finals back in 2019 - their joint-best result since a third-placed finish in 2000, before suffering a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nigeria.
Bafana Bafana, who are currently 66th in the latest World Ranking enjoyed a superb qualifying campaign as they racked-up seven points from four matches to finish second in Group K, two points behind group winners Morocco and six above rock-bottom Liberia.
South Africa have won the AFCON title only once, which came in 1996, when they beat Tunisia 2-0 in the final as host nation.
South Africa will head into Tuesday’s group opener on a path of just one win in their last five matches across all competitions, losing once and recording three draws, including a goalless draw against Lesotho in their final pre-AFCON warm-up fixture last Wednesday.
While Bafana Bafana will be looking to begin their AFCON campaign on a good note, they will have to show their mettle against a Mali side who have never lost an opening game in the tournament, claiming seven wins and five draws since their debut in 1972.
Team News
Injury-bruised Mali will have to play without several key players, including the likes of Atalanta forward El Bilal Toure, Crystal Palace man Cheick Doucoure and Southampton forward Moussa Djenepo.
Doucoure has been sidelined since having surgery on his Achilles tendon injury back in December, while Toure has been out of action since last August through a severe thigh injury.
Nonetheless, Chelle has named a few new faces in Eagles' squad, including Saint-Etienne's Ibrahim Sissoko, Lorient forward Sirine Doucoure and 28-year-old goalkeeper Aboubacar Doumbia.
As for South Africa, skipper Ronwen Williams is currently dealing with a slight knee problem, while Mamelodi Sundowns man Mothobi Mvala recently picked up a groin injury.
While both players are being monitored, they have travelled to Ivory Coast, alongside the 23-man squad featuring the likes of Themba Zwane, Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena and 29-year-old Percy Tau.
Tau, who plies his trade with Egyptian giants Al-Ahly, has 15 international goals to his name and he is the most experienced player in the Bafana Bafana squad, having made 42 appearances since his debut in October 2015.
Mali possible starting lineup:
Diawara; H Traore, Niakate, Fofana, Sacko; Haidara, Coulibaly, Bissouma; M Doumbia, Sissoko, Koita
South Africa possible starting lineup: Mothwa; Mudau, Xulu, Sibisi, Modiba; Mokoena, Sithole; Lepasa, Zwane, Tau; Mayambela
Mali vs South Africa – Where to watch?
TV Channel: GTV Sports plus, DStv and other local channels.
By: Pascal Amoah
Follow me on Twitter: @NiiAmoah
