AFCON 2025: Mali chase first win against Tunisia in Round of 16

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) continues to heat up with the round of 16 taking center stage as African elite teams battle for the much-coveted title.

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The first two matches of this knockout phase are scheduled for today, Saturday, 3 January, including the clash between Mali and Tunisia at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca at 2200 hrs.

Mali booked a place in the knockout stage after emerging as the runners-up in Group A, and so did Tunisia, who were the runners-up in Group C.

Mali had one of the most unique qualification stories of the 2025 AFCON, as they managed to finish second and qualify for the round of 16 without winning a single group stage match.

The Eagles drew all their group matches: 1-1 against Zambia in their opener, a similar scoreline against hosts and group leaders Morocco, and a barren draw against Comoros.

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Tunisia, on the other hand, posted mixed results in the group phase. Having secured a 3-1 win over Uganda in their first match, they suffered a 3-2 loss at the hands of Nigeria before being held to a 1-1 draw by Tanzania.

The two sides have met four times previously at AFCON, with Mali remaining unbeaten, having won twice and drawn twice.

Overall, they have met 15 times, with Tunisia claiming victory seven times and Mali five times, while three ended in a stalemate.

Mali head coach Tom Seintfiet admitted his side's peculiar qualification circumstances but noted that they have to be clinical as they seek their first win of the 2025 edition.

"It feels weird, honestly, because as a coach, you want to win games, you want to do it also for the public, and it is not that we didn’t play well," Saintfiet said.

"We scored two goals in three games, one penalty and one on normal play. Everyone talks of how we have a good combination of football, but we have to be more efficient in front of the goal, and that is something we have to work on before the coming game,” he added.

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His Tunisian counterpart, Sami Trabelsi, equally confessed not to have had the best display but was proud of the qualification, even as the team seeks to improve.

“The most important thing was to secure a qualification. We have not done well in this competition in recent years, and that is why qualification is so important," Trabelsi said.

"We may not have played the best way possible, but we are very happy to have qualified. We will be playing against stronger opposition. We will really need to play better because the level of competition will be even higher and requires us to improve," he stated.