AFCON Preview: Namibia v Mali

Deon Daniel Hotto of Namibia celebrates goal during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Finals match between Tunisia and Namibia at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on 16 January 2024 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

by Thando Mpembe

Tuesday Jan 23, 2024. 15:21

Date: 24 January 2024

Kick-off: 19h00

Head-to-head: Namibia and Mali met twice during Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers back in 2020 as Les Aigles bagged home and away victories against the Brave Warriors.

After claiming an historic 1-0 win over Tunisia in their opening Group E fixture, Namibia were brought back down to earth in a humbling 4-0 defeat against South Africa in their second fixture.

Mali on the other hand, commenced their 2023 AFCON bid with a 2-0 victory over Bafana Bafana, while a 1-1 draw with Tunisia in their subsequent match added a new twist to standings in Group E.

Team news: While Mali reportedly have a full-strength side to work with for the first-time in the competition, while Absolom Limbondi and Petrus Shitembi could start the next game on the bench for Namibia after both players were withdrawn at half-time against South Africa.

Key players:

Namibia: Deon Hotto – Deployed in his natural position for Namibia, Hotto will be tasked to produce the goods in the final third, alongside prolific goal scorer Peter Shalulile.

Mali: Yves Bissouma – After recovering from Malaria, the skilful midfielder is likely to return for their upcoming match. Bissouma is known for his ball carrying skills and has the ability to set the tone of the match throughout the 90 minutes.