Zambia aim to start AFCON on high note as they face Mali

Mali will fancy their chances of progressing from Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A and are desperate for a strong start against Zambia, who’ll be looking to upset the odds.

Mali begin their tenth successive AFCON tournament once again carrying the “dark horses” tag—a label they’ve struggled to justify in recent years. Despite consecutive third-place finishes in 2012 and 2013, the Eagles haven’t progressed beyond the quarter-finals in any of the last five editions. However, a string of impressive results heading into the tournament suggests this could finally be their year.

The Eagles have lost just once in their last five matches, winning three and drawing one. More significantly, they boast a remarkable record of never losing their opening AFCON fixture across 13 previous campaigns, claiming eight wins and five draws. That’s a streak they’ll be determined to extend.

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The outlook is far less optimistic for Zambia, who face a daunting Group A challenge on the back of a dismal run of form. Chipolopolo have suffered four consecutive defeats and lost nine of their last ten matches, managing just a solitary victory. Caretaker manager Moses Sichone faces a monumental task to make his side competitive.

Recent tournament history paints an even bleaker picture. Since their fairytale AFCON 2012 triumph, Zambia have failed to qualify three times and crashed out at the group stage in the other four attempts. Remarkably, they haven’t won a single group-stage match since lifting that trophy, recording seven draws and two defeats.

What the Coaches Say

Despite Mali’s superior form and pedigree, coach Tom Saintfiet isn’t taking anything for granted. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, he emphasized the difficulty of the opening fixture.

“Looking to the match, we will face a very strong team,” Saintfiet said. “The first game in a tournament always brings pressure, and Zambia are a good team. They won their qualifying group ahead of Ivory Coast. They have quality individual players who play together as a team, and we’ll have to be very well prepared to get a good performance. It’s clear that we as Mali want to start with a win, and we will do everything to get these three points.”

Zambia’s Moses Sichone, meanwhile, delivered a defiant message ahead of the clash, insisting his underdogs won’t be overawed by their opponents’ reputation.

“We respect the Malian team—we know how strong their players are,” Sichone acknowledged. “But when we get to the field, the respect will be earned on the pitch. The respect for Mali is on paper, and this is something I’ll be emphasizing to my players. We need to focus on our preparation and make sure we get a positive result.”