MATCH FACTS: CAR hope to surprise Mali at TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025
Mali take on Central African Republic in their second match in Group D at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 in Berrechid on Friday (kick-off 20:00 local time / GMT), with the two teams having had contrasting fortunes in their opener.
Central African Republic are facing West African opponents for a second time, they lost 6-1 in their opening game against Cote d’Ivoire.
This is Mali’s seventh game against a team from Central Africa, their record in these games reads W5 L1. Central African Republic are the third nation from the region that Mali are facing,
Mali have defeated Cameroon four times and lost once to Congo in the group stages in 2011. They also defeated Congo in the quarter-finals in 2023.
Except for the 1995 edition when all teams made their debut, Mali’s record against tournament debutants reads P7 W2 D3 L2.
Mali’s two losses to tournament debutants was against Egypt in the final in 1997 and against Burkina Faso in the semi-finals in 1999.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC FACTS
· The tournament debutants lost their opening game to Cote d’ Ivoire 6-1.
· They faced 13 shots on target in their opening game, the most that any team has faced in a single game.
· Central African Republic goalkeeper Tanko Binguimale made five saves in their loss to Cote d’Ivoire, the second most saves by any goalkeeper in the first round in a single game.
· Despite their 6-1 loss against the Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic still managed to have 40.3% of the possession. They completed 212 passes.
· Destin Selemby completed 30 passes for Central African Republic in their opening game, he had a passing accuracy of 83.3%, the most in their team.
MALI FACTS
· Mali began with a 2-1 win over Angola in their opening game. Another win could see Mali will qualify for the quarter-finals.
· Should they manage to reach the quarter-finals, Mali, participating in their 10th finals, will reach the knockout rounds for an eighth time, level with Nigeria.
· Mali’s opening game win against Angola was the third time they managed to win their opening game, along with a win against Burkina Faso 1-0 in 2023 and 2015, when they defeated Cameroon 3-1 in their tournament opener.
· Mali have only ever started a finals with successive wins in 2023 when defeating Burkina Faso and Cameroon.
· Mali’s record in their second group game at the finals reads P9 W4 D3 L2, defeating Tunisia 2-0 in 1995, thereafter winning against Cameroon 2-1 in 2001, Niger 2-1 in 2017 and Cameroon 2-0 in 2023.
· They have lost their second group game twice, both times to Gambia in 2005 and 2011, going down 3-2 and 1-0 respectively.
· Three of Mali’s second group games at the tournament have ended in a draw as they played out 0-0 stalemates against Egypt and Ghana in 1997 and 1999, while drawing 2-2 with South Africa in 2015.
· Mali have won their second group game at the last two tournaments they have participated in, winning in 2017 and 2023.
· Mali have won their last five group games, their final two in 2017 and both in 2019, as well as their first game at the current finals.
· Mali are undefeated in their last nine group games (W7 D2). They last lost a group game when losing to Congo 2-1 in their final group game in 2011.
· Mali attempted 449 passes in their opening game against Angola, completing 352 for a 78.4% passing accuracy in the game.