The high-flying Mali national football team, known as the “Eagles,” will face Burkina Faso’s formidable squad, the “Stallions,” in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday.
Mali, leading Group F with a commanding five points, will square off against Burkina Faso, who secured the second position with four points, ending the group stage with a disappointing loss to Angola by two goals.
Mali, participating in their ninth consecutive tournament, secured the top spot in their group for the third consecutive edition.
They will enjoy the advantage of playing against Amadou Gon Coulibaly’s side once again in Korhogo, according to reports from France Press.
After a strong opening performance with a 2-0 victory against South Africa, Mali faced two draws against Tunisia (1-1) and Namibia.
Local coach Eric Chelle hopes that Lesin Sanoukou, the striker from French club Auxerre, will return to scoring form after finding the net in the first two matches.
The midfield duo of Yves Bissouma from Tottenham Hotspur and Amadou Haidara from RB Leipzig is expected to showcase their best performances.
Burkina Faso had a promising start to the tournament, winning 1-0 against Mauritania and drawing 2-2 against Algeria.
However, they suffered an unexpected 0-2 defeat to Angola.
French coach Hubert Velud is banking on the attacking prowess of Bertrand Traoré from Aston Villa and Mohamed Konaté from Ahmed Grozny, aiming to capitalize on Burkina Faso’s substantial fan support in the northeastern Ivory Coast.
The team that emerges victorious in this encounter will face the winner between Ivory Coast and Senegal on February 3 at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké.
The match promises a fierce battle, particularly in the midfield, where both teams boast their strengths.
