Tunisia, Mali, South Africa and Namibia make up Group E of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024).
In this article, we'll give you all the information about this group.
This year's continental finals are also sometimes called AFCON 2023, since it was initially scheduled to take place last year, but was postponed until January-February 2024.
AFCON 2024 Group E teams
Tunisia
Mali
South Africa
Namibia
AFCON 2024 Group E schedule
The AFCON 2024 Group E matches will take place in Korhogo, with the exception of Namibia vs Mali, which will take place in San-Pédro.
Day 1:
- 16 January, 6 pm: Tunisia vs Namibia, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
- 16 January, 9 pm: Mali vs South Africa, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
Day 2:
- 20 January, 9 pm: Tunisia vs Mali, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
- 21 January, 9 pm: South Africa vs Namibia, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
Day 3:
- 24 January, 6 pm: South Africa vs Tunisia, Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
- 24 January, 6 pm: Namibia vs Mali, Stade Laurent Pokou
Group E: Analysis of the teams involved
Tunisia
Tunisia, one of the giants of this group, present themselves with a solid team. They also have a rich history in the competition. The Carthage Eagles finished at the top of their qualifying group with an overall satisfactory record of four wins, one draw and one loss.
During the last rally in November, Jalel Kadri's troops managed to take the scalps of Sao Tome and Principe (4-0) and Malawi (1-0). They come into this tournament with a ton of confidence.
Mali
Mali also qualified easily for this competition. First in group G with 15 points from a possible 18, the Eagles will be keen to confirm the crazy promises displayed during these qualifiers. Despite serial withdrawals (Ibrahima Koné, Cheick Doucouré, Adama ‘Malouda' Traoré), Eric Chelle's gang could be one of the nice surprises of this edition.
South Africa
South Africa enter this competition with the ambition to prove that they can stand up to the big teams. Bafana Bafana, part of a group of three teams during the qualifying stages, finished second behind Morocco with seven points (two wins, a draw and a defeat).
Vengeful after missing the previous edition of this competition, Bafana Bafana have progressed a lot under the guidance of Hugo Broos and are in good shape with only one defeat in their last 13 matches!
Namibia
Namibia, although considered the weakest team in the group, should not be underestimated. Participating for the fourth time, the Brave Warriors will look to surpass their performance from AFCON 2019 where they were eliminated in the first round.
They could well play the role of outsider and potentially upset the group favourites. The Namibians held their own against Cameroon in the qualifying rounds, claiming four points from their two clashes.
Group E: Their history at the Africa Cup of Nations
Tunisia
20 appearances
Best performance: winners in 2004
Mali
12 appearances
Best performance: runners-up in 1972
South Africa
10 appearances
Best performance: winners in 1996
Namibia
Three appearances
Best performance: 1st round in 1998, 2008 and 2019
History of clashes between teams in Group E
There are a couple of rivalries within this group, starting with Tunisia and Mali, two outfits that know each other very well. It may interest you to know that these teams will meet in the group stages for the third consecutive AFCON event.
Out of the 12 meetings in their history, the Carthage Eagles have won six times. Mali have four wins, while two of those skirmishes ended in stalemates. The last double clash between these sides dates back to March 2022, during the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. Tunisia won the first leg by the smallest of margins (1-0), while the reverse fixture ended in a goalless draw.
Tunisia also has a rivalry with South Africa, even if it is not recent. Bafana Bafana won in the final against the Tunisians during the 1996 AFCON final. During the group stages of the 2006 and 2008 events, the Tunisians were able to gain the upper hand (2-0 and 3-0 victories).
Bafana Bafana have also faced Mali, who beat them in the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2013 editions. However, they came out on top the last time these teams squared off against each other in a 2019 friendly match.
Finally, note that South Africa and Namibia are neighbours who frequently clash; their most recent encounter was a goalless draw in September. The last time Namibia met Bafana Bafana in the AFCON group stages was in 2019, where the South Africans won by a lone goal.
