Cheima Moufdil
Hosts Morocco continue their CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 campaign with a high-profile Group A encounter against Mali at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 26 December.
This fixture marks only the second AFCON finals meeting between the two nations. Their previous clash came in the semi-finals of the 2004 tournament, where Morocco cruised to a 4–0 victory in Tunis. Youssef Mokhtari struck twice, with Youssef Hadji and Nabil Baha also finding the net. That result remains Morocco’s joint-largest win at AFCON and Mali’s joint-heaviest defeat.
Head-to-Head Overview
Morocco and Mali have faced each other 20 times in all competitions. Morocco hold the edge with nine wins to Mali’s six, alongside five draws. The Atlas Lions have also recorded the biggest win in the fixture, a 6–0 success in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Rabat. Overall, Morocco have outscored Mali 36–14 and are unbeaten in their last three meetings, keeping clean sheets in each. Mali’s last victory over Morocco dates back to a 1–0 friendly win in May 2006.
Morocco: Form and Momentum
Morocco opened the tournament with a composed 2–0 win over Comoros, extending their strong AFCON trends. They have now won their opening match in four consecutive AFCON finals and have not conceded in their last four opening games. The Atlas Lions are also unbeaten in their second group match across their last five tournaments, last losing such a fixture in 2012.
A win against Mali would secure qualification to the knockout stage for a fifth consecutive AFCON, a streak that began in 2017. Morocco are currently on a 12-match unbeaten run in AFCON group stages and have lost just once in their last 14 group games.
Individually, Brahim Díaz opened his AFCON account against Comoros, scoring his ninth international goal, while Ayoub El Kaabi netted his 30th goal for Morocco in his 61st appearance. Morocco dominated statistically in their opener, 70% possession, completing 582 of 647 passes at 90% accuracy.
Mali: Resilient but Searching for a Win
Mali began their campaign with a frustrating 1–1 draw against Zambia, conceding a late equaliser after Lassine Sinayoko had given them the lead. Sinayoko’s goal was his eighth at international level and his fourth at AFCON, moving him closer to Mali’s all-time leading scorers.
Despite the draw, Mali extended their record of never losing an AFCON opening match and are now unbeaten in 11 consecutive group-stage games. However, history is less kind in second group fixtures. Mali have won just one of their 13 second group matches at AFCON, a 3–1 victory over Burkina Faso in 2004, and have gone nine tournaments without a win.
Against Zambia, Mali showed attacking intent with 15 shots and strong dribbling numbers, while Mamadou Sangaré impressed with a perfect dribble success rate and Aliou Dieng led the team for completed passes.
What’s at Stake
For Morocco, victory would all but confirm their place in the knockout rounds and reinforce their status as tournament favourites on home soil. For Mali, the challenge is to overcome a poor historical record in second group games and claim a result that would keep their qualification hopes firmly alive.