Mali coach Éric Chelle has warned that his team is out to earn respect at the Africa Cup of Nations, starting with their Group E opener against South Africa at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on the evening of Tuesday 16 January 2024. Kick-off is at 22h00 CAT.
CURRENT FORM
Mali come into the match on the back of a 6-2 win over fellow Afcon finalists Guinea-Bissau last weekend in a warm-up match, a result which followed their two World Cup qualifying games in November: a 3-1 win over Chad and 1-1 draw against Central African Republic.
South Africa’s warm-up for the Afcon saw them play out a 0-0 draw with Lesotho last Wednesday. Bafana Bafana were also in action in World Cup qualifiers in November, with a 2-1 win over Benin followed by a 2-0 loss at the hands of Rwanda.
TEAM NEWS
Mali have no reported injury worries and should be at full strength for this match. South Africa, meanwhile, will expect Ronwen Williams and Themba Zwane to return to the line-up after missing the match with Lesotho due to minor knocks, while Mothobi Mvala’s groin injury is of more concern and could see him ruled out.
WHAT WAS SAID
“The football world laughs at Malian football. So I told my players to stop making them laugh and show who we are,” said Mali coach Éric Chelle. “It doesn’t matter what happens, whether we win or not, but from now on to meet Mali we will have to go there and we will be respected.”
“It was a fantastic experience winning the Afcon. If you ask me: 'Do you want to do it again?' Surely, I want to do it again. I am looking forward to the game, the atmosphere around the games and the tournament,” said South Africa coach Hugo Broos, who won the Nations Cup with Cameroon in 2017. "You see, everyone wants to show how good they are, they are motivated and that makes it a very tough tournament. It not only needs you to be mentally at the top, but you also need quality. We will see our quality at the highest level.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
MALI: Yves Bissouma – The energetic midfielder has enjoyed a fine campaign in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur, where his style is much more suited to the attacking mindset of manager Ange Postecoglou, and he will be itching to take that momentum into the Afcon.
SOUTH AFRICA: Percy Tau – The Al Ahly striker is easily South Africa’s most experienced forward and will be tasked with both scoring the goals as a spearhead, as well as providing a leadership role as Bafana Bafana return to the Afcon for the first time since 2019.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
In head-to-head terms, Mali and South Africa have met in three previous matches. The Eagles have twice triumphed in Afcon quarterfinals (2-0 in 2002 and via penalties after a 1-1 draw in 2013), while Bafana Bafana won a friendly 2-1 in Port Elizabeth in 2019.