Sparks will fly as Tunisia and Mali square off against each other at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). It'll be interesting to see who will reign supreme at the end of this game.
Tunisia vs Mali overview
This Group E clash takes place at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on Saturday January 20. Kick-off time is 9 pm WAT.
Tunisia
Tunisia had a disappointing start to their AFCON campaign. Despite being the overwhelming favourites, they lost to Namibia by a lone goal. The 2004 champions will hope to bounce back with a victory on Saturday.
Mali
Mali, on the other hand, kicked off their Nations Cup campaign in style, with a 2-0 victory over South Africa's Bafana Bafana. They'll set their sights on securing a place in the knockout stages by winning this match.
Tunisia vs Mali head to head
These teams have met on 14 occasions, and the Tunisians won seven of those encounters. Mali have five wins, while two of their skirmishes ended in stalemates.
This will be the first encounter between Tunisia and Mali since they met twice in March 2022, in the qualifying rounds of the FIFA World Cup.
Tunisia vs Mali potential lineups
Jalel Kadri will likely use a 4-3-3 formation, with US Monastir's Bechir Ben Said starting between the sticks.
On the other hand, Eric Chelle fancies a 4-3-1-2 formation. AJ Auxerre's Lassine Sinayoko and Red Bull Salzburg's Sekou Koita will likely be called upon to lead the attack.
With that being said, these are our probable Tunisia vs Mali predictions:
Tunisia
Goalkeeper: Bechir Ben Said.
Defenders: Wajdi Kechrida, Yassine Meriah, Montassar Talbi, Ali Maâloul.
Midfielders: Ben Slimane, Ellyes Skhiri, Ben Romdhane.
Forwards: Elías Achouri, Haythem Jouini, Youssef Msakni.
Mali
Goalkeeper: Djigui Diarra.
Defenders: Hamari Traore, Boubakar Kouyate, Sikou Niakhaté, Falaye Sacko.
Midfielders: Aliou Dieng, Yves Bissouma, Amadou Haidara, Kamory Doumbia.
Forwards: Lassine Sinayoko, Sekou Koita.
Tunisia vs Mali tactical analysis
In spite of Tunisia's loss to Namibia, they've put up some solid results recently, winning three of their last five games.
It's important to note that while Namibia managed to score against Tunisia, it was the first time the 2004 AFCON champions conceded in five games.
On the other hand, Mali have had a near-perfect record in recent months, with seven wins and a draw in their last eight matches.
They scored 22 times in that eight-game stretch, keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Tunisia vs Mali prediction
Taking everything into account, we believe a tightly-contested clash is on the cards.
We've already established that Tunisia conceded just once in their last five games. Their games have mostly been one-sided in goal-scoring terms, as both teams managed to score in just one of their last nine games.
In like manner, at least one team blanked in six of Mali's last eight competitive fixtures. Considering this was also the case with the last four encounters between these teams, we shouldn't expect goals at both ends.
Where to watch Tunisia vs Mali live
Fans from Tunisia will be able to watch this match on beIN Sports 1 & 2 AFCON, as well as beIN Sports Max 1, 2 & 3.
Meanwhile Malians can catch all the action live on Canal+ CAN.
