Comoros and Mali will trade tackles in their final Africa Cup of Nations Group A game at Stade Mohamed V Stadium, with little or no hopes of progressing to the next stage of the competition.
Having been drawn in a difficult group that contains hosts Morocco, former champions Zambia and Mali, it would have been a surprise to make it out of the group, as one of the two teams in that section.
After what was an expedited opening day loss to Morocco, Stefano Cusin’s team rallied round and held Zambia to an impressive 0-0 draw, giving them faint hopes of a route to progression as one of the best third-placed teams.
Mali entered the 2025 edition of AFCON as one of the dark horses, and they are showing why they have featured in pre-tournament conversations about potential winners.
In their first game of the competition, against Zambia, the Eagles appeared to have secured all three points with only a few minutes left on the clock.
However, a momentary loss in concentration at the rear afforded Patson Daka a chance to level for Zambia.
Nevertheless, they proved that they are not in the competition to make up the numbers, fighting back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw.
How the bookies view it:
The bookmakers have unanimously backed Mali to emerge from this encounter with all three points, as they are priced at 53/100 on Bet365.
A win for Comoros is set at 6/1 on Bet365, while a draw is valued at 14/5 with the same bookie.
Head-to-head: Mali have been untouchable
In two previous clashes, Mali came out on top on both occasions, and not much is expected to change this time.
Player to watch: El Bilal Toure
El Bilal Toure currently plays for Besiktas on loan from Atalanta. With Yves Bissouma struggling to stay fit, the spotlight is now on the man based in Turkey to lead the charge of Mali.
Probable line-ups
Yves Bissouma missed their opening game due to a fitness issue, but he made a return against Morocco last time out, meaning they have a healthy squad, and the Tottenham star could be named in the starting XI.
Similarly, Comoros also have a clean bill of health, but we expect the manager to stick to a familiar team.
Comoros: Pandor, Abdallah, Toibibou, Soilihi, Boura, Bakari, Bourhane, Youssouf, Maolida, M'Changama, Said
Mali: Diarra, Gassama, Camara, Diaby, W. Coulibaly, L.Coulibaly, Dieng, Sangare, Doumbia, Bissouma, Sinayoko
Anything else that catches the eye?
While Comoros have been decent, they have struggled to create scoring chances, and they have yet to find the back of the net in this competition so far.
Considering that, the option of both teams to score – no appears to be sensible and viable.
GambleAware