Mali vs Tunisia Prediction and Betting Tips | 3rd January 2026

Mali and Tunisia clash at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco for their last-16 encounter in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. For the fourth edition in a row, Mali find themselves in the knockout stages of the competition, but their path to the round has been quite interesting.

The Eagles didn't win a single group match but managed to finish second in Group A and progress beyond the first round. That's because the side drew all their games and accrued three points from as many games, which proved enough for the North African side to finish above Comoros and Zambia, who collected two points each.

Mali were on their way to a win over Zambia in their opening fixture, but Lassine Sinayoko's opener for them was canceled out by Patson Daka in stoppage time. They then drew 1-1 to heavyweights Morocco before a surprise 0-0 stalemate with minnows, Comoros.

Ranked 53rd in the world, Tom Saintfiet's side face another stern challenge in Tunisia, runners-up of Group C. After cruising past Uganda in a 3-1 victory, the Eagles of Carthage lost 3-2 to Nigeria in a pulsating clash, before relinquishing their lead in a 1-1 draw to Tanzania.

With four points in three games, the Tunisians finished second to Nigeria and qualified for the knockout rounds for the first time since 2021.

Mali vs Tunisia Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

• There have been 15 clashes between the sides in the past, with Tunisia winning seven times over Mali and losing on just five occasions.
• Mali's last win over Tunisia came in January 2022, in the AFCON group stages.
• Mali and Tunisia have drawn their most recent two meetings, which include a 1-1 stalemate in the last edition of the AFCON.
• The Eagles of Carthage have lost just once in their last five games, while Mali are unbeaten in their last six.

Mali vs Tunisia Prediction

Mali have relied on their solid defense, but it may not be enough to keep out a free-scoring Tunisia. We expect a tense encounter here between a formidable force and an immovable object, with the Eagles of Carthage prevailing narrowly.

Prediction: Mali 0-1 Tunisia

Mali vs Tunisia Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: Tunisia to win

Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No

Edited by Peter P