Three points will be at stake as Mali vs South Africa go up against each other on Tuesday January 16. Which of these teams will reign supreme at the end of this match?
Mali vs South Africa probable lineups
These are our probable Mali vs South Africa lineups:
Mali
Goalkeeper: Ismael Diawara.
Defenders: Hamari Traoré, Falaye Sacko, Mamadou Fofana, Amadou Dante.
Midfielders: Lassana Coulibaly, Amadou Haidara, Yves Bissouma.
Strikers: Kamory Doumbia, Ibrahim Sissoko, Adama Traoré.
South Africa
Goalkeeper: Ronwen Williams.
Defenders: Aubrey Maphosa Modiba, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Siyanda Xulu, Khuliso Mudau.
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Zakhele Lepasa, Themba Zwane, Percy Tau.
Strikers: Mihlali Mayambela.
Mali vs South Africa confirmed lineups
*Lineups will be automatically updated shortly after they're released
Mali vs South Africa stats and predictions
Mali and South Africa will kick off their respective AFCON 2023 campaigns today. This will be the first encounter between these teams since 2019, when they met in a friendly match. With that in mind, these are our Mali vs South Africa predictions:
Prediction 1: Mali to win
To be fair, South Africa's Bafana Bafana have put up a fairly decent run of results in recent months. They lost just one of their last eight matches in all competitions.
However, Hugo Broos' men managed one win in their last five games, with three draws and a loss.
In contrast, we've been really impressed with Mali's performances lately. They have six wins in their last seven matches, with no losses in that seven-game stretch. All things considered, we are leaning towards Mali for the victory.
Prediction 2: Both teams to score
For our next Mali vs South Africa prediction, let's explore the BTTS market.
These teams have met a fair few times, and both teams tend to get on the scoresheet when they do. As a matter of fact, both teams found the net in three of the last four meetings between Mali and South Africa.
In like manner, the Malians have scored and conceded more than their fair share of goals in recent months. They've scored in seven consecutive games, whilst keeping no clean sheets in their last four matches. For this reason, we should expect goals at both ends.
Prediction 3: Over 2.5 goals
Mali faced Guinea-Bissau in a friendly match, a few days before this tournament. They didn't have too much trouble defeating their opponents in a 6-2 rout.
Eric Chelle's men have been very efficient in front of goal, scoring 18 times in their last six matches alone. That said, three of Mali's last four games went above the 3.5 goal line. Taking everything into consideration, we should expect the goals to flow in this match.
Where to watch Mali vs South Africa live
This match will be broadcast on Supersport and Canal+ CAN for fans who reside in Mali.
On the other hand, Bafana Bafana fans who live in South Africa can tune into SABC 1, Supersport's PSL channel and StarTimes Sports Premium for live coverage of this game.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
