Our prediction for this Africa Cup of Nations 2024 match:
Mali
Match Time & Date:
26/01/2022
02:00 PM
Prediction: 1-0
Equatorial Guinea
A spot in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals will be at stake when Mali and Equatorial Guinea face each other at Limbe Stadium on Wednesday evening. Mali clinched top position in Group F thanks to a 2-0 win over Mauritania, and they must be high on spirits ahead of the last 16 clash. Moussa Djenepo is back from suspension, while Ibrahima Kone should continue to lead the line for the Eagles.
Equatorial Guinea, on the other hand, quickly bounced back from a 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast, with the team beating both Algeria (1-0) and Sierra Leone (1-0) in the last two group matches. The National Thunder look solid at the back, but we do not believe that they are capable of keeping their third consecutive clean sheet at the showpiece tournament in Cameroon. In their last meeting in a competitive match Mali defeated Equatorial Guinea 1-0.
Highlighted Player (Moussa Doumbia):
A Malian midfielder Moussa Doumbia has been with Russian side FK Rostov since 2014. The 22-year-old powerful midfielder started his career with Real Bamako in 2012. Doumbia spent two years playing for the Scorpions in the Malien Premiere Division, the top rank in the country. Russian side recognised his talent and made a transfer in 2014 tying Moussa Doumbia on a four-year deal.
During two seasons with Russian Premier League outfit, Doumbia was involved in 31 league matches. In 2015-16 season he contributed to his club’s runners-up finish with two goals of his own. Full-time Mali international made his national team debut in 2014 in a 3-1 victory over China in Shenzen.
His most recent international appearances occurred in September during an empathic 5-2 win over Benin in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Doumbia went on to score his team’s fifth goal with eleven minutes on the clock rounding off an impressive performance.
Highlighted Team ():
