Mali vs South Africa Prediction 16.01.2024

• Competition: Africa Cup of Nations &— Group E
• Date: Tuesday, 16th, January 2024
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21.00 CEST
• Venue: Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium (Korhogo)

Mali, a regular participant in AFCON, is keen to begin the tournament on a high note. Their opening Group E challenge will be against South Africa at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.

Mali vs South Africa Betting Tips: Mali to Win

Mali has successfully advanced through the qualifiers, marking their ninth consecutive AFCON appearance. They aim to perform better than their previous four attempts, where they only made it to the Round of 16, hoping to present a better showing for their fans.

Les Aigles are poised to commence the continent’s premier competition on a high note, given their track record of never falling short in their opening AFCON game. They have achieved seven victories and ended in a draw five times to date.

Mali, who is currently 51st in the world rankings, has recently shown great confidence on both sides of the pitch, resulting in a seven-match unbeaten streak. They have also made a powerful comeback in preparation for the AFCON, soundly defeating Guinea-Bissau 6-2 in the warm-up match.

Head coach Eric Chelle is extremely pleased with the outstanding performance of his team’s offense. Having supervised his team’s ability to score at least three goals in their last three victories, it suggests that he will insist his players adopt a fierce offensive strategy to defeat South Africa for the first time in 20 years.

Mali’s strong performance in the final third could be a significant threat to their opening opponents in Group E. This is particularly so as South Africa, who are among this year’s 24 AFCON participants, conceded the most goals per match during the qualifying rounds &— allowing six goals in four matches.

Additionally, Bafana Bafana has not been at their best during the preparatory phase before the biggest tournament for African nations. Their slim 2-1 victory over Benin in the first match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is the only highlight in their last five competitive and non-competitive matches.

Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma, whose market value far exceeds that of the entire South African squad, will be looking with his team-mates to end their 22-year wait for victory against the 1996 AFCON winners. Being aware that the “Bafana Bafana” team is crafted from players in the domestic league, our confidence is strong that Mali’s powerful squad will efficiently exhibit their prowess to claim all three points on Tuesday.