Our prediction for this Africa Cup of Nations 2024 match:
Mali
Match Time & Date:
20/01/2022
01:00 PM
Prediction: 2-0
Mauritania
Mali will look to secure a top-two finish in Group F when they take on Mauritania in the decider on Thursday evening. Following a 1-0 win over Tunisia, les Aigles shared the spoils with Gambia in their second group game. Mali are on the right track to make it to the AFCON last 16, and a win over Mauritania will see them meet the goal. El Bilal Toure is back from suspension, while Moussa Djenepo will have to serve his one-game ban.
Mauritania, on the other hand, do not seem to be competitive at this level, with the team sitting in the ultimate place in Group F. The rock-bottom side failed to impress in a 4-0 loss to Tunisia, and we do not believe that they are capable of shocking Mali at Japoma Stadium. Defender Aly Abeid should miss out with injury for the away side.
Highlighted Player (Kalifa Coulibaly):
Kalifa Coulibaly is a Malian international who began his senior career at Paris Saint-Germain B. After spending four years at Parc des Princes, he moved to Charleroi in 2014 and the Malian striker scored seven goals in 31 league appearances for the Belgian outfit.
At the end of the season he left the club, signing a contract with Gent and he has been playing for De Buffalo’s ever since. Kalifa Coulibaly made his Gent debut on 9 August, 2015 in a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht. He scored four goals in 24 league games for the club in the 2015/2016 season, picking up just one yellow card in the process.
Coulibaly made his Mali debut on 15 October, 2013 in a 3-1 win over South Korea. He started the match from the bench, substituting Ousmane Coulibaly in the second half of the game. His contract with Gent expires on 30 June, 2019. Coulibaly’s main position is centre forward.
Highlighted Team (Mauritania):
Affiliated to both CAF (Africa) and WAFU (West Africa) confederations, Mauritania are the national team that qualified for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in their history. The Lions of Chinguetti were grouped with the likes of Angola, Burkina Faso and Botswana in the qualifiers for the 2019 tournament, with the team finishing the team collecting 12 points from possible 18.
Mauritania, though, have yet to book their place at the FIFA World Cup finals. The Lions of Chinguetti suffered a heavy 5-1 loss to Malagasy Republic on their international debut (25 December, 1961) and they registered their biggest win 45 years later, with the team crushing Somalia 8-2 in Beirut, Lebanon.
Back in 1972 Mauritania suffered the biggest lost in the history of the national team as they were beaten 14-0 by Guinea. Stade Olympique, which can hold up to 20,000 people, is considered the team’s home ground.
