Anticipating a closely contested match, we predict that Mali will emerge victorious with a narrow margin of 2-1 against South Africa.
Mali are appearing in their 13th AFCON finals and their best finish was as runners-up in 1972.
The Eagles always pose a threat in these competitions but they were knocked out before the quarter-finals in each of the last four editions.
However, the West African nation have 26 of their 27 players plying their trade in Europe.
Mali vs South Africa Betting Tips
- Double chance - Mali/ Draw @ 1.25 with Betway
- Both teams to score @ 2.20 with Betway
- Multi-scores - 2-1, 3-1, or 4-1 to Mali @ 6.40 with Betway
All odds are courtesy of Betway, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
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Coach Eric Chelle will be hoping his players use their experiences from abroad to challenge for this year’s crown.
After South Africa won the tournament they hosted in 1996, they have flattered to deceive and eventually fell behind in the winner’s conversation.
Their Belgian mentor Hugo Broos won the tournament in 2017 with Cameroon and will be hoping to repeat that success with Bafana Bafana.
In contrast to Tuesday’s opponents, South Africa have 24 of 27 players that are based locally. Their unity could be the driving factor in the Ivory Coast, starting against Mali.
Form over history
These sides have met on five occasions from 2002 to 2019. Both teams have won twice and they’ve been deadlocked in one fixture.
However, the recent victories have come for South Africa, beating their opponents 2-1 and 3-0 in their last two games.
Bafana Bafana’s current form is a worry though. They were held to a goalless draw by their neighbours Lesotho in a warm-up match last Wednesday and won just one game in their last five.
Mali, on the other hand, have been scintillating. They’ve won four of their last five internationals, including a 6-2 thumping of Guinea-Bissau in preparation for the AFCON.
- Mali vs South Africa Betting Tip 1: Double chance - Mali/ Draw @ 1.25 with Betway
Driving forces
Mali have proven that goals can come from all around the pitch. The last time out, they had goalscorers from right-back, midfield, and their front three.
Their most influential player is Tottenham’s midfielder Yves Bissouma, who would usually feature as a pivot.
However, Chelle prefers him further forward to drive the Eagles in attack, one of the reasons why they’ve scored in each of their last five games.
South Africa’s attack tends to stutter as they’ve found the back of the net on three occasions in their previous five matches.
But, the Lion of Judah, Percy Tau is a decent finisher and will lead the offence for his country at the tournament.
Tau is South Africa’s top-scorer in the squad with 14 goals from 39 appearances. His experience in England and Belgium makes him a constant threat going forward.
- Mali vs South Africa Betting Tip 2: Both teams to score @ 2.20 with Betway
A trend in results
Mali have won 3-1 twice in their previous four games.
A clean sheet may be difficult to obtain with South Africa’s decent forward line but a victory for the West Africans is likely.
- Mali vs South Africa Betting Tip 3: Multi-scores - 2-1, 3-1, or 4-1 to Mali @ 6.40 with Betway