Tunisia will lock horns against Mali at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in their second group-stage match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AFCON) on Saturday.

Tunisia, the 2004 champions, had a slow start to their campaign as they fell to a 1-0 loss to Namibia. They suffered an early blow in that match as striker Taha Yassine Khenissi was subbed off in the 15th minute with a knee injury. Deon Kavendji scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute to earn Namibia’s first win at the AFCON finals.

Mali are making their ninth consecutive appearance at the AFCON finals and got their campaign underway with a 2-0 win over South Africa. Captain Hamari Traoré led from the front and opened the scoring in the 60th minute. Lassine Sinayoko got in on the action and doubled his side’s lead in the 66th minute.

A win will ensure Mali’s place in the knockout round. Tunisia also need a win in this match to keep their qualification hopes alive, as they meet 1996 champions South Africa in their final match of the group stage, which might be a close game.

Tunisia vs Mali Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two teams have met 14 times across all competitions thus far. Tunisia have the upper hand in these meetings with a 7-5 lead in wins and just two games ending in draws.
• 12 of the 14 meetings between the two teams have produced fewer than 2.5 goals.
• They last met in the CAF 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with the 2004 AFCON champions recording a 1-0 win on aggregate.
• They have crossed paths thrice in the group stage of the AFCON. Mali have an unbeaten record in these meetings with two wins and one game ending in a draw.

Tunisia vs Mali Prediction

The Eagles of Carthage suffered their first loss in five games in their campaign while also conceding for the first time in that period. Taha Yassine Khenissi will miss the remainder of the AFCON after picking up a knee injury in the loss against Namibia, so head coach Jalel Kadri will expect experienced players like Youssef Msakni and Ellyes Skhiri to step up.

Interestingly, they have suffered six 1-0 losses in their last eight games in the continental competition, including once against Mali in the previous edition, and they might struggle here.

Les Aigles registered a comfortable 2-0 win over South Africa, who missed a penalty in the first half. They are now unbeaten in their last eight games across all competitions, recording seven wins, and will look to build on that form here. They are unbeaten in their three AFCON meetings against Tunisia, recording two wins and outscoring them 4-1 in that period.

This is a crucial match for Tunisia, as a loss could mean their elimination from the competition. A win for Mali will ensure their place in the knockout stage but even a draw will go a long way in helping them secure a top-two finish in the Group E table.

With that in mind and considering the current goalscoring form of the two teams, a low-scoring draw might ensue.

Prediction: Tunisia 1-1 Mali