Mali-South Africa : Eagles Resolute To Begin Well

The Eagles of Mali will take on the Bafana Bafana of South Africa in their first match at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in their opening Group E game at the ongoing TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Côte I’Ivoire. It will be the first playing day in Group E and the second match of the day. The match will start at 9:00 p.m. Cameroon time. Mali is a regular participant in the competition and will be keen to make a good start in the tournament. The Eagles of Mali are in Korhogo and are set for the challenge. 
During the last four editions of the competition, Mali reached the Round of 16 but this time around, the Eagles will be seeking to do better. The Eagles are confident given that they have never lost in their opening AFCON encounter, recording seven triumphs and sharing the spoils five times. Entering the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations, Mali's squad faces the absence of several key elements, with Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure, along with the attacking trio featuring Ibrahima Kone (Almeria), Moussa Djenepo (St.Liege and El Bilal Toure (Atalanta), all sidelined due to injuries, among other players.
 Comprising mostly players from the domestic league, the majority of South Africa's squad brings a local flavour to this year's Africa Cup of Nations, with Burnley striker Lyle Foster ...