The 2025 AFCON has reached the knockout stage, with the second match featuring Mali vs Tunisia, set for Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Tangier Grand Stadium in Tangier.
A classic 2025 Africa Cup of Nations knockout clash awaits as Mali’s Eagles face Tunisia’s Eagles of Carthage in the Round of 16. Mali vs Tunisia sides reached this stage after navigating tough groups, promising a tense, tactical battle between West and North African heavyweights.
Mali moved on from Group A after three draws, while Tunisia secured second place in Group C with four points. Their last meeting at AFCON 2023 ended in a 1–1 draw. The AFCON knockout stage will take place from January 3 to 6, 2026, in stadiums across Morocco.
Path to the Round of 16
- Mali: The Eagles progressed as runners-up in their group, showing defensive resilience and moments of flair in attack. They relied on clean sheets and counter-attacks to secure progression despite a challenging draw.
- Tunisia: The Carthage Eagles also finished as group runners-up, drawing on experience and organization. They ground out results with disciplined performances, setting up this high-stakes encounter.
- Fixture: Mali vs Tunisia – AFCON 2025 Round of 16
- Date: Saturday, 3 January 2026
- Venue: Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, Morocco
- Kick-off:
- 20:00 local (Morocco)
- 19:00 GMT
- Tournament: TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 – Knockout stage
Both sides finished as runners-up in their groups:
- Mali – 2nd in Group A:
- 1–1 vs Zambia
- 1–1 vs Morocco
- 0–0 vs Comoros
- GF 2, GA 2 (3 points, unbeaten, all draws)
- Tunisia – 2nd in Group C:
- 3–1 vs Uganda
- 2–3 vs Nigeria
- 1–1 vs Tanzania
- GF 6, GA 5 (4 points, one win, one draw, one loss)
AFCON 2025 round of 16 – Mali vs Tunisia
The Mali vs Tunisia AFCON 2025 Round of 16 clash at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca will be shown live on official CAF broadcast partners across Africa, Europe and the Middle East, with additional streaming options available internationally via licensed sports platforms.
Head-to-Head & AFCON History
Tunisia hold a slight edge in the head-to-head record, with seven wins to Mali’s five from 15 meetings.
Overall head-to-head (all competitions)
- Total meetings: 15
- Tunisia: 7 wins
- Mali: 5 wins
- Draws: 3
- Goals: Tunisia 13, Mali 11
AFCON-specific record
- AFCON meetings: 4 – all in group stages
- Mali unbeaten at AFCON vs Tunisia:
- Mali: W2 D2 L0, GF 5, GA 2
- Mali scored first in all four AFCON meetings.
- Mali scored in every AFCON clash vs Tunisia and kept clean sheets in their 2–0 (1994) and 1–0 (2021) wins.
Previous AFCON meetings:
- 1994, Group A: Tunisia 0–2 Mali
- 2019, Group E: Tunisia 1–1 Mali
- 2021, Group F: Tunisia 0–1 Mali (Koné pen)
- 2023, Group E: Tunisia 1–1 Mali
Key point: this is their first-ever knockout meeting at AFCON, after four straight tournaments (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) where they’ve met in the groups.
Mali – Form, Style & Team News
Tournament snapshot
- 4th consecutive AFCON where Mali reach the knockouts.
- Group A: 3 draws
- 1–1 vs Zambia
- 1–1 vs hosts Morocco
- 0–0 vs Comoros
- GF 2, GA 2 – very tight, low-scoring, defence-first group campaign.
- Winless in last 4 AFCON games (D3 L1) – last AFCON win was 2–1 vs Burkina Faso (R16, 2023).
- Have reached the AFCON quarter-finals 6 times; a win today would be a 7th (1994, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2023).
- Draw specialists historically: 24 draws in 62 AFCON games, more than wins (21) or losses (17).
Mali remain hard to beat, strong tactically and defensively, but struggle to turn control into wins.
Discipline & red cards
- Mali have received 3 red cards across the last three AFCONs, joint-most.
- At this tournament, Amadou Haidara was sent off vs Comoros and is suspended for this Round of 16 tie.
Style & key players
Coach Tom Saintfiet has built a structured, compact unit with good pressing and athleticism.
- Strengths:
- Defensive shape, tactical discipline
- Good at limiting chances
- Dangerous from set pieces
Key players:
- Lassine Sinayoko – main goal threat, scored in previous AFCON meetings; powerful runner.
- Yves Bissouma – midfield engine (if selected), breaks play and moves the ball vertically.
- El Bilal Touré / Kamory Doumbia – attacking options who can change games late.
- Ousmane Camara / Nathan Gassama – strong passing and high involvement from the back; 80–100 touches vs Comoros reported.
Predicated Mali Starting XI (4‑2‑3‑1) –
- Diarra – Coulibaly, Diaby, Dieng, Camara, Gassama – Doumbia, Bissouma, Coulibaly, Sangaré – Sinayoko.
Tunisia – Form, Style & Team News
Tournament snapshot
- Back in AFCON knockouts after missing R16 in 2023.
- Group C results:
- 3–1 vs Uganda
- 2–3 vs Nigeria
- 1–1 vs Tanzania
- Scored 6 goals, conceded 5 – one of the more open teams in this phase.
- Only 1 win in their last 7 AFCON matches (D3 L3); just 1 clean sheet in that span.
- Reached the AFCON Round of 16 for the 3rd time (after 2019, 2021) and never eliminated at this stage:
- 2019: beat Ghana on penalties after 1–1
- 2021: beat Nigeria 1–0
- Have reached the quarter-finals in 5 of their last 7 AFCON appearances; a win here would be their 12th quarter-final.
Style & strengths
Tunisia, under Sami Trabelsi, are more front-foot and direct than Mali, with an emphasis on crosses and forward runners.
Key notes:
- Scored in three consecutive AFCON matches – best scoring run since 2013–2015.
- Awarded two penalties at this tournament and converted both – the only team to score both after previously missing four of their last non-shootout penalties.
- When scoring first at AFCON, they are unbeaten in 9 straight games.
Squad & injuries
- Tunisia almost full strength.
- Minor concern: Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (knee clash vs Nigeria) – fitness being monitored, but overall squad is “solid” per reports.
Key players:
- Aymen Dahmen – first-choice goalkeeper.
- Montassar Talbi – defensive leader; 79 passes vs Tanzania (most by a Tunisia player at AFCON 2025).
- Elyes Skhiri – pivotal in midfield, screens and builds.
- Hannibal Mejbri / Ismaël Gharbi – link play and create; Gharbi scored his first AFCON goal vs Tanzania.
- Seifeddine Achouri / Hamza Rafia / Houssem Tka / Hamdi Harbaoui type forwards – wide players and 9s providing movement and pressing.
Predicted Tunisia Starting XI (4‑3‑3)
- Aymen Dahmene, Ali Abdi, Montassar Talbi, Dylan Bronn, Yan Valery, Ellyes Skhiri, Hannibal Mejbri, Ismael Gharbi, Elias Achouri, Sébastien Tounekti, Hazem Mastouri.
Tactical Match-up
Mali
- Pragmatic: slow tempo, solid block, minimal risks.
- Hard to break down – 2 conceded in 3 group matches, both vs strong sides (Zambia, Morocco).
- Threat mainly from:
- counters through Sinayoko/Touré,
- late runs from Traoré/Doumbia,
- and set pieces.
Tunisia
- More proactive and direct; better in the final third this tournament.
- Vulnerable defensively – no clean sheet, 5 conceded in 3 games.
- Needs Skhiri + Talbi to control transitions and aerial threats.
Prediction – Mali vs Tunisia, AFCON 2025 R16
Two clear narratives:
- Mali: specialist AFCON side, unbeaten vs Tunisia at AFCON, structurally solid but not winning enough games recently (four AFCON matches without a win).
- Tunisia: more attacking, more open, with a Round of 16 pedigree (never eliminated at this stage), but defensively shaky this edition.
A balanced but slightly Mali-favoured scenario is reasonable for a neutral preview.
- Mali 1(4)–1(3) Tunisia (Mali to advance after extra time or penalties)
Where to Watch – Mali vs Tunisia, AFCON 2025
For your SEO section, you can keep it generic but accurate based on current broadcast guides:
- Africa:
- Live on CAF’s official broadcast partners (e.g. SuperSport in many territories, national broadcasters in Mali & Tunisia).
- Europe / UK:
- Select sports networks with AFCON rights + streaming apps.
- North America:
- Available on international football streaming platforms carrying AFCON.
