Mali vs Tunisia Prediction: Closely-fought contest expected on Saturday

Mali and Tunisia will go head-to-head in the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday evening (19:00 GMT, live on 4seven).

Tom Saintfiet’s men finished second in Group A after drawing all three of their group-stage matches, meaning they were the only side to qualify for the knockout stages automatically without winning a game. Meanwhile, Tunisia are looking to make amends for their group-stage exit back in 2023. Read on for my Mali vs Tunisia predictions, as well as the latest match odds and team news.

Team News

Amadou Haidara is suspended following his dismissal against Comoros, however the Malian Football Federation has lodged an appeal, so the midfielder could be available for selection depending on the outcome.

Sikou Niakate has recently returned to individual training but this match is expected to come too soon for the defender, and Hamari Traore remains on a rehabilitation programme within the Mali camp.

As for Tunisia, they have a fully-fit squad to select from, but concern continues to surround Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, who sustained a knee injury against Nigeria.

Mali vs Tunisia Odds

Mali are 15/8 to win in 90 minutes, and the draw is the same price, while Tunisia are 7/4, giving them an implied win probability of 36.4%.

Both teams to score is 6/5, while over 2.5 goals is available at 7/4.

Match Result - Draw (90 minutes) @ 15/8

As mentioned in the introduction, Mali drew all three of their group-stage matches to finish second in Group A behind hosts Morocco. However, they are now unbeaten in six games since losing a World Cup qualifier to Ghana in September.

Tunisia, on the other hand, won one, drew one and lost another of their three group fixtures. They will be relieved to make it past the group stage this time round, after exiting the competition at that stage in 2023.

This will be the fourth Afcon in a row that these two sides have locked horns and the previous three meetings have all been close, with Mali winning one 1-0 and the other two finishing 1-1. So, I'm backing the draw in 90 minutes.

Correct Score - 1-1 @ 5/1

Following on from my first pick, all the stats suggest a closely-fought contest here, and a correct score pick of 1-1 could be the way to go at 5/1.

Historically, across the 15 meetings between the two sides, only twice has the game been decided by more than one goal, and two of the last three encounters have finished 1-1.

Everything points to a tight affair on Saturday, so I'm predicting a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes.

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