Mali

We look back over a compelling month of AFCON football and pick our tournament dream team.

Having got all eight of his Last 16 predictions correct, Ed Dove is far less confident ahead of the quarters, and expects cagey contests, tense finales, and tears aplenty as giants of Africa are set to fall by the wayside.

Senegal defeated 10-man Mali 1-0 in a tepid Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal in Tanger on Friday to become the first team to seal their place in the last four thanks to some crucial Malian errors.

The Africa Cup of Nations 2025 takes place in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. Here is everything you need to know about the continent's premier men's tournament, from news, interviews, teams, and how to watch.

Ed Dove reflects on how 10-man Mali were able to beat Tunisia to advance to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mali played for over 100 minutes with 10 men but still came from behind to defeat Tunisia 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Casablanca on Saturday to set up an Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal against Senegal on Friday.

Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet believes that his experiences with the Gambia can help his side end their wait for AFCON gold. But first they must get past Tunisia in the Last 16.

Ahead of the last two days of the first round, we run through the outstanding groups and examine the permutations, looking at what each side needs to progress and potentially top their groups.

Mali ended Morocco's 19-game winning streak while a Mohammed Salah penalty was decisive in a controversial Egypt South Africa match.

Morocco and Mali played to a 1-1 draw on Friday in their second AFCON Group A match, with both sides converting penalties awarded after VAR interventions.