MATCH STATS: Morocco vs Mali – TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group A

Hosts Morocco and Mali meet in their second Group A game at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, when they clash at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 26 December, with kick-off scheduled for 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT).

This will be the second time the two sides meet at AFCON finals, following their previous encounter in the semi-finals of the 2004 edition.

Morocco won that meeting 4–0 in Tunis, with Youssef Mokhtari scoring a brace, while Youssef Hadji and Nabil Baha were also on the scoresheet.

That result remains Morocco’s joint-biggest win at AFCON, while it is also Mali’s joint-heaviest defeat at the finals. Morocco head coach Walid Regragui featured in that match, starting for the Atlas Lions.

Overall, Morocco and Mali have met 20 times, with Morocco winning nine matches, Mali six, and five ending in draws.

Morocco have recorded the biggest win in the fixture, a 6–0 victory in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier played in Rabat on 1 September 2017. Across all meetings, Morocco have outscored Mali 36–14 and are currently three games unbeaten against them (W2 D1), keeping clean sheets in each of those matches.

Mali last defeated Morocco in a 1–0 friendly win on 28 May 2006.

PAST MEETINGS

OVERALL
Morocco: P20 W9 D5 L6 GF36 GA14 GD+22
Mali: P20 W6 D5 L9 GF14 GA36 GD-22

AFCON ONLY
Morocco: P1 W1 D0 L0 GF4 GA0 GD+4Mali: P1 W0 D0 L1 GF0 GA4 GD-4

PAST AFCON MEETINGS
2004 – Semi-final (11 February 2004)
Morocco 4 (Mokhtari 14’, 58’, Hadji 80’, Baha 90+1’) Mali 0

Morocco – Key Statistics

• Morocco began the tournament with a 2–0 win over Comoros.• They have now started four successive AFCON finals with a victory.
• The Atlas Lions have not conceded in their opening game in their last four AFCON appearances.
• Morocco have won their opening two group games in two of their previous three appearances, in 2019 and 2021. At the 2023 edition, they won their opening match but drew their second group game against DR Congo.
• They are unbeaten in their second group game across their last five AFCON editions, winning in 2017, 2019 and 2021, and drawing in 2013 and 2023.
• Morocco last lost their second group game in 2012, when they were defeated 3–2 by Gabon.
• Victory would see Morocco qualify for the knockout stages for a fifth consecutive finals, a run that began in 2017, after failing to progress from the group stage in four successive tournaments between 2006 and 2013.
• Morocco have avoided defeat in 16 of their previous 19 AFCON second group games.
• Their overall record in second group matches at AFCON reads P19 W8 D8 L3.
• They have lost a second group game at AFCON only three times: against Algeria in 1980, Guinea in 2008, and Gabon in 2012.
• The Atlas Lions are currently 12 group-stage matches unbeaten at AFCON (W9 D3).
• Their last group-stage defeat came in their opening game of the 2017 edition, a 1–0 loss to DR Congo.
• The defeat to DR Congo in 2017 remains their only loss in their last 14 group games at AFCON (W10 D3).
• Victory would see Morocco win their opening two group games at AFCON for the fourth time, having previously done so in 2004, 2019 and 2021.
• When hosting the tournament in 1988, Morocco won their second group game 1–0 against Algeria after drawing 1–1 with DR Congo in their opener.
• Morocco have only once previously lost their second group game after winning their opening match, in 2008, when a 5–1 win over Namibia was followed by a 3–2 defeat to Guinea.
• The 2008 edition remains the only AFCON finals in which Morocco won their opening game but failed to reach the knockout stages.
• The win over Comoros was Morocco’s 30th victory at AFCON, coming in their 75th match at the finals.
• They have now scored 89 goals at AFCON.
• Brahim Díaz scored his first AFCON goal against Comoros, playing his 16th match for Morocco and scoring his ninth international goal.
• Ayoub El Kaabi, playing in his 61st international match, scored his 30th goal for Morocco.
• El Kaabi was appearing in his eighth AFCON match and scored for the first time at the finals.
• At senior international level in CAF competitions, El Kaabi has scored 13 goals, one at AFCON and 12 at the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
• Morocco recorded 70% possession against Comoros.
• They managed seven shots on target in that match.
• Morocco attempted 647 passes against Comoros, completing 582, for a passing accuracy of 90%.
• Sofyan Amrabat completed a match-high 75 passes.
• Noussair Mazraoui recorded a game-high 93 touches.

Mali – Key Statistics

• Mali drew their opening game 1–1 against Zambia despite taking the lead in the 61st minute through Lassine Sinayoko, conceding an equaliser in second-half stoppage time.
• Sinayoko scored his eighth international goal in his 26th appearance for Mali.
• He has now scored four goals at AFCON across seven matches, having netted three times at the previous edition.
• Sinayoko is Mali’s fourth-highest goalscorer at AFCON; another goal would see him draw level with Fantamady Keita on five.
• Mali had begun the 2019, 2021 and 2023 editions with opening-match victories; this was the first time they failed to win their opener since drawing 0–0 with Egypt in 2017.
• By avoiding defeat against Zambia, Mali maintained their record of never losing an opening game at AFCON.
• They last failed to win either of their opening two group games in 2017, when they drew with Egypt and lost to Ghana.
• Mali are now unbeaten in 11 consecutive AFCON group matches (W5 D6).
• Their last group-stage defeat came against Ghana in 2017.
• They have now drawn their last three AFCON group matches, having followed an opening win in 2023 with draws against Tunisia and Namibia.
• Mali traditionally struggle in their second group game at AFCON, with a record of P13 W1 D7 L5.
• Their only victory in a second group match came against Burkina Faso in 2004, a 3–1 win.
• Since that victory, Mali have failed to win their second group game in nine successive appearances (D5 L4).
• They have drawn their second group game in each of their last three AFCON appearances; their most recent defeat in this fixture came against Ghana in 2017.
• Against Zambia, Mali registered five shots on target from 15 attempts.
• They attempted 25 dribbles, with a success rate of 56%.
• Mamadou Sangaré achieved a 100% dribble success rate, winning all six of his attempted dribbles.
• Aliou Dieng completed a match-high 56 passes.
• The match against Zambia was Mali’s 60th at AFCON and their 22nd draw at the finals.
• The goal conceded against Zambia was the 70th Mali have allowed at AFCON, while they have scored 72 goals overall.