PREVIEW: Mali battle Angola in key Group E fixture

by
Kelvin Trudeau Musako
July 2, 2019

The Palancas Negras of Angola and the Eagles of Mali will be meeting each other in their third Group E match at the Ismailia Stadium tonight.

Table toppers Mali have scored five goals in the competition, four coming in their 4-1 drubbing of Mauritania in their opening game. They followed up with a 1-1 draw against the Carthage Eagles and now a win for Mali would earn them top spot in the group.

Angola on the other hand have recorded two draws against Tunisia and Mauritania. Disappointing perhaps that they only managed to score a goal in this competition but their destiny is still in their hands to make the last 16.

Head to Head

There is nothing to separate the two sides in terms of previous records. Angola and Tunisia have met four times with a win for each and two draws.

Key Players

Mali’s striker Moussa Marega and Adama Traore will most likely command a place in coach Mohamed Magassouba’s Starting XI.

Angola youngster Gelson Dala had a good game against Mauritania and be a candidate in coach Srdjan Vasiljevic’s starting XI.

Permutations

All the teams in Group E can qualify to the last 16. A win for Mali would mean they top the group on 7 points, while a draw could also be enough as they have a healthy goal difference. A loss could still see the Eagles sneak into the last 16.

Angola must win to guarantee a spot in the last 16 while a draw could see them sneak into the next round among the third best placed teams.