Morocco vs Mali Prediction, Team News as Kylian Mbappe's Arrival in Headlines

The Morocco national football team will now play the Mali national football team in their second AFCON group stage match. This interesting outing will be witnessed by Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah.

The hosts easily defeated Comoros to begin their campaign. They will be confident for their next outing because they are currently in good form. The Moroccan national football team will want to keep winning and playing at home will undoubtedly give them a significant advantage.

Zambia held Mali national football team to a draw in their first Africa Cup of Nations match. They took the lead in the second half, but they struggled to defend and gave up a goal in the final moments. Because of their recent performance, the Eagles will be under pressure for their next game.

Both teams, Morocco and Mali, are ready to face each other in the Group A clash of the AFCON in Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. This Morocco vs Mali preview article is going to share all the details about this match and Sportsdunia's Morocco vs Mali prediction, as this will be a high-stakes fixture, as many football stars like one of the best strikers in the world Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele will be in the stands to support their teammate Achraf Hakimi's captained side.

Morocco vs Mali Preview

If you are among those fans who want to know more about why this fixture will be an intense one to watch, then in this section you'll get a Morocco vs Mali preview, which will give you clarity about this fixture's intensity.

Morocco struggled to make an impression in the first half of their match, missing seven opportunities to score, including a penalty that centre-forward Soufiane Rahimi missed in the eleventh minute. Real Madrid players Brahim Diaz broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, and substitute Ayoub El Kaabi sealed the victory with an overhead kick that might be a contender for goal of the tournament. However, a more clinical performance following the break ultimately settled the match.

The other three included a victory over Senegal in the African Nations Championship final via penalty shootout and an extra-time victory over Jordan on their way to winning the Arab Cup. The match on Friday is a step closer to a long-awaited continental title for the top-ranked African country on the FIFA World Rankings, whose only prior victory came in 1976.

They are regarded as the overwhelming favourites to win the AFCON. Morocco has won both of the opening games in two of the last three tournaments, and a victory over Mali would virtually guarantee first place in Group A.

Similar to the hosts, Mali's campaign started with a missed penalty in the first half of their match against Zambia. Lassine Sinayoko scored from close range to take the lead after halftime, but the Eagles' inability to maintain their lead ultimately proved costly.

After a goalless friendly against Jordan, Tom Saintfiet's team now has two straight draws after Leicester City striker Patson Daka's stoppage-time equaliser gave them only a share of the spoils. Despite this, Mali can be encouraged by the fact that they have only lost once in their last six AFCON games (W2, D3) and have gone undefeated in four games (W2, D2).

With just one victory in six away games (D3, L2), their road record is still worrisome. The hosts, who haven't lost a competitive home game since 2009, are severely impacted by this statistic. An already difficult task is made more difficult by Mali's unfavourable recent head-to-head record; in their last four meetings with the Atlas Lions, they have lost three times and failed to score in the previous three.

Morocco vs Mali Match Info

• Match Name: AFCON, Matchday 2
• Stadium Name: Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah
• Kick-Off Time: 27th December 2025, 1:30 AM IST

Morocco Team News

Romain Saiss, a former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender, suffered an early injury in Morocco's match against Comoros, making his participation on Friday uncertain. Jawad El Yamiq replaced Saiss in that game. The team is probably going to remain the same aside from this possible change, with El Kaabi vying for a starting position in attack after his outstanding goal.

Morocco Predicted Lineup: (4-3-3)

GK: Yassine Bounou

RB: Noussair Mazraoui

CB: Nayef Aguerd

CB: Jawad El Yamiq

LB: Achraf Hakimi

CM: Azzedine Ounahi

CM: Sofyan Amrabat

CM: Ismael Saibari

RW: Brahim Diaz

ST: Soufiane Rahimi

LW: Neil El Aynaoui

Mali Team News

Gaoussou Diarra is pushing for a start after making an impression off the bench against Zambia, but head coach Tom Saintfiet may stick with the same starting lineup from the opening draw.

Mali Predicted Lineup: (4-2-3-1)

GK: Djigui Diarra

RB: Woyo Coulibaly

CB: Abdoulaye Diaby

CB: Mamadou Fofana

LB: Amadou Dante

CM: Mamadou Sangare

CM: Aliou Dieng

RW: Lassine Sinayoko

AM: Kamory Doumbia

LW: Dorgeles Nene

ST: El Bilal Toure

Morocco vs Mali Injuries

Here is the list of Morocco vs Mali injuries, as some fans might be searching about which players can miss this match.

Morocco Injuries

Mali Injuries

Morocco vs Mali Prediction

Morocco benefits from the home crowd as hosts, and their current form and superior head-to-head record further solidify their position as favourites, so a hard-fought but controlled victory against a Mali team ranked 43 spots lower in the FIFA World Rankings is expected.

Sportsdunia's Morocco vs Mali Prediction: Morocco 3-1 Mali