AFCON: Mali coach confident ahead of Comoros decider

Mali national team head coach Tom Saintfiet has remained cautious as they fight to seal a place in the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

The West African side will return to action at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca on Monday seeking victory against Comoros to stand a chance of reaching the knockout stages. As it stands, Mali are second in Group with two points from two matches.

Meanwhile, hosts Morocco are topping the pile with four points and will face third placed Zambia in their final group fixture at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium also on Monday.

Knowing what is at stake against the Island nation, the Belgian has challenged his players not to take the final group fixture for granted.
“We have to stay calm and do our job,” said Saintfiet. “We know how difficult Comoros can turn out to be, but our focus is to play our game, try to protect our brand, and make sure we get the most important win of our campaign.”

Saintfiet added: “We know how tight the situation in the group, so we have to play our part to win the game, and see what happens next. Zambia in second place can also qualify, if they beat Morocco, so it is that group that can go either way.”

Comoros coach Stefano Cusin remained confident of getting their first win against Mali. The Island nation lost their opening fixture 2-0 against Morocco for drawing 0-0 against Zambia.

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