Comoros vs Mali: A decisive clash for a place in the knockout stage

Comoros and Mali will face each other on Tuesday, 30 December in a TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group A tie that will determine who joins Morocco in the Round of 16.

The two sides know each other well, having already met during the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With two points collected from two matches—against Zambia and hosts Morocco—there is no room left for calculation for Mali as only a win will guarantee them a place in the knockout stage without relying on other results.

Comoros on the other hand know that only one scenario will extend their tournament journey: victory. Defeated by Morocco in their opening match, the Coelacanths responded by holding Zambia to a draw on Matchday 2, in a performance that highlighted their collective spirit.

That result underlined the team’s unity, resilience, and organisation—qualities that will be vital heading into this do-or-die encounter.

WHAT WAS SAID

Stefano Cusin – Comoros Head Coach

“It is a very important match against Mali, with only one possible result. We are fully focused. Playing three matches in eight days is not easy—you have to manage both the physical and mental aspects. Being 100% ready will not be enough against Mali; we will need to go beyond that. A win could qualify us in second place, and Mali are not yet qualified. Everything is still open.”

Youssouf Zaïdou – Comoros Midfielder

“The atmosphere in the squad is good. We have a specific challenge ahead of us. We are bottom of the group, with nothing to lose. We have to be ready on every level and give everything.”

Tom Saintfiet – Mali Head Coach

“We have already beaten Comoros, but that can become a trap. They are a quality team, well coached by Stefano Cusin, whom I know very well. If we do not respect the opponent and if we are not ready, we can lose. We want to win, but it will be difficult.”

Hamari Traoré – Mali Player

“It will be a tough match. Comoros have technical and experienced players. What matters are the three points. We respect the opponent, but we are playing to win.”

KEY STAT

This will be the first-ever meeting between Mali and Comoros at the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Their only previous encounters came during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, where Mali recorded two convincing 3–0 victories, both played in Berkane.