Mali vs Senegal Tips & Preview - Teranga Lions to continue AFCON progress

By Tolu Shotade

07 Jan 2026

Tolu Shotade 07 Jan 2026

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Mali and Senegal clash in AFCON quarter-finals, both unbeaten.
Senegal's strong record includes three decisive victories.
Mali struggling in attack, potentially giving Senegal an edge.

Mali vs Senegal

A place in the last four is the prize as Mali battle Senegal at the Stade Ibn Batouta in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Both teams remain unbeaten in the competition, although the Eagles are yet to secure a win. The Teranga Lions have the superior quality here and should claim the upper hand on Friday.

Mali News

Mali needed penalties to overcome Tunisia in their round of 16 clash after playing out a 1-1 draw in normal time. They fell behind with two minutes left to play, but struck back in injury time through Lassine Sinayoko before going on to win the shootout.

That result extends an interesting run for Mali, who remain unbeaten after four matches at the AFCON. However, Tom Saintfiet's team are yet to secure a regulation-time victory here, with all four fixtures ending in draws.

Mali have a reputation for being stubborn and hard to beat, a trait that has been evident throughout the competition. However, one issue appears to be a lack of cutting edge in attack, having failed to score more than once in their four matches at the AFCON.

Senegal News

Senegal continue to make steady progress through the AFCON and reached the quarter-finals with minimal fuss. They eased to a 3-1 victory over Sudan in the round of 16, with Pape Gueye netting a brace while Ibrahim Maybe was also on target.

Like the Malians, Senegal are also maintaining an unbeaten record in the competition so far. However, only one match has ended in a draw, with Pape Bouna Thiaw's team winning the other three fixtures.

The three wins for Senegal in this competition have been comfortable, having scored over 1.5 goals in all the fixtures. They have also scored the opening goal in three of their four matches in the competition.

Head to Head

Senegal have never lost in this fixture, picking up four wins and three draws in the last seven matches against Mali. The Teranga Lions claimed a 2-1 victory in a friendly back in 2019.

Verdict

Mali v Senegal

Mali have shown some stubbornness in the competition, but Senegal boast enough quality to break them down. The Teranga Lions have opened the scoring in three of their four matches so far, and that trend is likely to continue.

Having won three of their last four matches, Senegal should have the edge over Mali, who are yet to secure a victory here. The 2019 champions have also scored over 1.5 goals in their three matches, and a repeat is on the cards.

Senegal

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Senegal

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Over 1.5

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