Mali will face off with Equatorial Guinea in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match at the Limbe Stadium on Wednesday.
The Eagles are hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013 when they finished third in South Africa. Mali have the edge over Equatorial Guinea heading into this encounter based on their pedigree in Afcon finals and current form.
The 1972 Afcon runners-up remain one of their few teams that are undefeated in this year's tournament. The West African side finished at the top of Group F after accumulating seven points from three matches including wins over Tunisia and Mauritania.
They will take on an Equatorial Guinea side that is looking to continue its good record of reaching at least the quarter-finals each time they participate in the Afcon finals. This is National Thunder's third appearance in the tournament having finished fourth in 2012 as co-hosts, before being eliminated in the quarter-finals as the sole hosts in 2015.
The Central African side had a slow start to the ongoing competition as they lost to Ivory Coast in their first match, but wins over Algeria and Sierra Leone earned them the runner-up spot on the Group C standings and they will be looking to make it three wins in a row when they face Mali.
| Game | Mali vs Equatorial Guinea |
| Date | Wednesday, January 26, 2022 |
| Time | 21:00 SA Time - (19:00 GMT) |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
| Online Streaming | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| DStv.com/DStv Now App https://www.showmax.com/eng/welcome/za | SuperSport TV's PSL channel 202/SuperSport TV's Variety 3 channel 208 |
Squads & Team News
Mali have been boosted by the availability of one of their key attackers, Moussa Djenepo, who is expected to start against the National Thunder after the Southampton star sat out the Eagles' clash with Mauritania on January 20 due to a suspension.
The Malian Football Federation has not reported any Covid-19 cases nor injuries in the Eagles' camp and this has surely boosted coach Mohamed Magassouba's team selection heading into this encounter.
All eyes will be Ibrahima Kone who will be looking to continue his scoring run having netted in each of Mali's three matches in this year's tournament. The Sarpsborg 08 striker's three goals all came from the penalty spot.
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Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea could be without Dorian Hanza as he is an injury doubt with the Spain-based starlet having been substituted during their match against Sierra Leone on January 20 after picking up a knock.
However, just like Mali, the National Thunder have no suspension concerns and they are yet to report Covid-19 cases in their camp ahead of their crucial encounter with the Eagles.
Juan Micha, the Equatorial Guinea coach, will look to Ivan Edu Salvador, who produced Man of the Match performances in their wins over Algeria and Sierra Leone. The Fuenlabrada forward could be key to a victory over Mali.
Match Preview
In their head-to-head record, Mali and Equatorial Guinea will be meeting for the fourth time across all competitions.
The Eagles have dominated this rivalry - winning all of their previous meetings against the National Thunder.
This will be the first-ever between Mali and Equatorial Guinea in the Afcon finals.
Their last meeting was in March 2016 with the Eagles claiming a 1-0 win over the National Thunder in the 2017 Afcon qualifier in Malabo.