MATCH FACTS: Tunisia face Mali in TotalEnergies CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 quarter-final on Friday
Tunisia will take on Mali in the last of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 quarter-finals to be staged at the Ben M'Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida on Friday (kick-off 20:00 local time / 19:00 GMT).
The teams’ only other clash at the continental competition finals was in the group stages in 1999 with hosts Mali winning 2-0.
Tunisia’s record against West African opponents at the finals reads P8 W2 D1 L5.
Tunisia have won two of their previous eight games against West African opponents, a 3-0 victory over Togo in the 2007 group stages and a 2-1 success against Gambia in the current finals.
They have twice lost to Nigeria in semi-finals in 2007 and 2013. They also lost to Ghana in the 1997 group stages and the 2007 play-off for third place.
They also lost to Mali in the 1995 group stages and at the present finals drew 0-0 with Senegal.
This game is Mali’s fifth against North African opponents. In their four previous games against North African opposition, Mali’s record reads W1 D1 L2.
Mali defeated Tunisia 2-0 in the 1995 group stages, they drew 0-0 with Egypt in the 1997 pool phase but lost 1-0 to the Egyptians in the final in 1997. In 2023 they lost to Morocco in the semi-finals on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
TUNISIA FACTS
· Tunisia came through the group stages undefeated, winning against Somalia (3-0) and Gambia (2-1), while drawing 0-0 with Senegal.
· Tunisia are in the knockout stages for a third time along with 2007 and 2013. This is the first time they will participate in a quarter-final clash.
· They have played four games in the knockout stages, the semi-finals in 2007 and 2013, and the third-place play-off in both those tournaments.
· Tunisia’s record in the knockout rounds of the tournament, including games decided on penalties recorded as wins and losses, reads P4 W1 L3.
· In the knockout stages Tunisia have lost both their direct knockout games, going down in the semi-finals to Nigeria 2-0 and 4-2 in 2007 and 2013 respectively.
· In other knockout games, they lost 1-0 to Ghana in the play-off for third in 2007 and after a 1-1 draw in 2013, they won against Morocco in the play-off for third on penalties.
· Tunisia’s only penalty shoot-out to date was their spot kicks win over Morocco in the play-off for third in 2011. The game ended 1-1 before they prevailed, winning a lengthy penalty shoot-out 11-10.
· Tunisia have the second highest shot conversion rate of 21.47%. Only Morocco (29.63%) have a higher shot conversion rate.
· Of all the quarter-finalists, only Burkina Faso (405) have completed fewer passes than Tunisia (627).
MALI FACTS
· Mali are participating in the knockout rounds for an eighth time.
· Mali came through as Group D runners-up after wins against Angola (2-1) and Central African Republic (2-0). They lost 4-2 to Cote d’Ivoire in their last game.
· Prior to their loss to Cote d’Ivoire, they had won six pool fixtures in a row and were undefeated in 10 group games (W8 D2).
· In their last 18 games at the finals, Mali have lost just two games in open play, against the Cote d’Ivoire at the current finals and Burkina Faso in the play-off for third in 2023 (W11 D5).
· Mali are playing their 44th game at the finals. Only Nigeria have played more (45). Should Mali win they are guaranteed to play two more games, which will take them to a record 46 games at the finals.
· Victory for Mali will send them through the semi-finals for an eighth time. Presently Mali and Nigeria have the joint most last four appearances with seven.
· Victory will send Mali to their fourth successive semi-final at the finals. They were winners in 2015 and 2017, and finished fourth in 2023.
· Mali’s record in direct knockout games at the finals, including quarter-final and semi-finals with wins and losses on penalties, reads P8 W4 L4.
· Mali in previous direct knockout clashes at the tournament lost to Nigeria in 1995, going down 3-1. They also lost to Burkina Faso in 1999, losing 1-0, while they lost to Nigeria and Morocco on penalties in 2001 and 2023. These were all semi-final games
· Mali have won direct knockout clashes three times previously. In 1997 they defeated Ghana 2-1, while in 2015 they won 2-1 over Guinea and in 2017 they defeated Guinea on penalties after the game ended 0-0. These were all semi-final games. They won 3-0 against Congo in the 2023 Quarterfinals.
· Mali have only featured in a quarter-final once previously in 2023, where they defeated Congo 3-0.
· Mali have been involved in three penalty shoot-outs at the finals previously (W1 L2).
· Ndjicoura Bomba has scored in all three games for Mali, netting a total of three goals. For the second finals in a row, a Malian player has scored in three consecutive matches. In 2023, Mamadou Doumbia scored in their only two group games and then in the last-8.
· Bomba is the first Malian player since Boubacar Traore in 2015 to score in three successive group games.
· Prior to Bomba and Traore scoring in three group games, Cheik Diabate also netted in three group games for Mali in 2005.