The Eagles of Mali booked their place in the last eight of the African Cup of Nations 2025, and their journey gets more extraordinary at every turn, making them a nightmare for the bookies.
From ending Morocco’s dual run to securing qualification as Group A runner-up without winning a single game, their round of 16 clash with Tunisia looked like a lost cause, but they battled on and survived decimation.
The likes of Lassine Sinayoko, Yves Bissouma, and goalkeeper Djigui Diara have been playing as two players rolled into one, to help the nation make up for the shortcomings of their teammates, especially when the odds are stacked.
Their quarter-final clash with Senegal may not be easy, but maybe the lessons learnt from their recent meetings with heavyweights like Morocco and Tunisia will give them the needed willpower to continue their fairytale run.
Mali have made themselves a pure headache for the bookies in the 2025 AFCON because of their unpredictability. They defy the odds when it is stacked against them while they live up to it when it’s in their favour.
The bookies’ nightmare | Mali
Four games into their journey in Morocco, the narratives can easily be split into two equal halves: dominant but failing to blow teams away, and being dominated yet refusing to fold or bend to their superior opponent.
Just set-piece and transitions, Tom Saintfiet and his boys care not so much about the in-between, especially against top oppositions. It is chaos, and solid defending.
Their curtain raiser against Zambia was a one-way affair, and after several missed chances, including El Bilal Toure’s penalty miss just before the interval, they eventually took a deserved lead through Lassine Sinayoko just after the hour mark.
They missed three of the four big chances created and were duly punished by a Patson Daka header in the second minute of the four added, denying them a winning start.
Mali, who had won 21 and drawn as many in their previous 59 AFCON games before the start of the 35th edition, would go on to upset the odds against favourites and high-flying Morocco, in their second group game, holding on for a one-all draw.
The result ended a 19-game winning run for the Atlas Lions, who had remained flawless since March 2024, while Lassine Sinayoko’s penalty, which canceled out Brahim Diaz’s ended their eight-game clean sheet run.
It was Morocco’s game to lose, and they dominated like they really meant it, creating five big chances, but Mali refused to be beaten and found their way back into the game after conceding the opener just before halftime.
Their third game presented an opportunity to secure their first win, but even with an imposing display, they couldn’t break the defence of Comoros, who exited the tournament despite a third-place finish.
Mali sent the Eagles of Carthage home
When Woyo Coulibaly was shown a straight red card just before the half-hour, the feeling around the planet would be that another round of 16 exit looms for the Eagles of Mali, little did everyone know that they’re in for a surprise.
Mali absorbed the pressure from their Northern African opponent, while also giving them a fair share of defensive responsibilities thanks to the great shift of Lassine Sinayoko, who frustrated the Tunisians with his hold-up play and technique.
However, their resolute defense was ultimately breached as Firas Chaouat headed home two minutes from time to give the 2004 winners the lead.
Despite racing against time and with a man down, Mali forged forward and won a free-kick, which led to the handball and subsequently the penalty from which they restored parity through the standout Sinayoko.
After standing their ground till the end of normal time, they had a very poor start to the penalty shootout and trailed twice, scoring one of their first three, but the advantage kept on coming back to them until they had the chance to win it with the decisive final kick of the regular five.
El Bilal Toure, who missed a penalty in their opening game against Zambia and has since lost his starting spot, took full advantage of the opportunity and made himself his country’s hero by slotting into the back of the net to secure their progress.
What’s next for Mali at the 2025 AFCON
By the standard of their journey so far, the Eagles have already exceeded expectations, but runs like they currently have only increase the appetite for more success, and they will hope to continue to outdo themselves in Morocco.
Senegal awaits them in the quarter-finals, and they will know that even the 2021 winners can bleed, especially after failing to win all their games so far, and literally had to come from behind to beat Sudan in the round of 16.
Mali may not be the best at anything, but they play as a team, and even though goals have been a rare commodity, they hardly give them away to rivals, too, and that will be their inspiration when they take on their neighbors.
Mali has become the bookies’ nightmare at the African Cup of Nations. After disappointing in fixtures where they are favoured, Tom Saintfiet’s charge yet defy the odds against superior teams, and the longer they continue, the more they are likely to make history.
The Eagles have appeared in more AFCON tournaments and played more games (now 63) than all of the countries to have featured in the tournament and not win it. Their best run came in their debut appearance in 1972, when they lost to Congo in the final.
They have drawn more games, 25, than they have won, 21, and draws could be all they need to finally end their 53-year wait for continental success since their debut in 1972.
More eyes will be on them after realizing their journey to the last eight, but that is not expected to affect their performance in any way as they have proved to be a group of professionals working together to honor their country.
They may be the underdog heading into their showdown with Senegal, but underrate them at your own peril, or you can look them up against Morocco and Tunisia to know what you’ll be up against.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
