MATCH FACTS: Top two clash in final Group D game at TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025
A draw will be enough to see the Ivorians advance, while even in defeat they could still go through unless Angola get a big win against Central African Republic in the other game in the pool.
The top two teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals and book a place at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, while the teams that finish third enter a play-off for the two remaining places at the global finals.
Mali and Cote d'Ivoire are meeting at the TotalEnergies CAF U17 AFCON for a fourth time. All three previous meetings have taken place in the group stages.
Whenever they have been drawn in the same group at the finals previously, only one team has progressed. In 1997 they drew 0-0 in their opening game with Mali progressing at the expense of Cote d'Ivoire along with Egypt.
They met again in 2011, a 2-1 win for Cote d'Ivoire in their opening game in Group B that saw the Ivoirians progress as pool winners with Congo.
Their most recently meeting in 2015 ended with a 1-0 win for Mali as they progressed to the next round as Group B winners with South Africa.
MALI FACTS
· Mali have begun with successive victories against Angola and Central African Republic, winning 2-1 and 2-0 respectively.
· Mali have secured progression to the knockout stages and qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. They will appear at the global finals for a seventh time.
· Mali have progressed to the knockout stages for an eighth time in their 10th finals appearance, along with 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2015, 2017 and 2023.
· It is the fourth successive finals that Mali have featured in where they have gone beyond the group stages. This is the second time they have gone through four successive tournaments by reaching the knockout rounds. They also did so in 1995, 1997, 1991 and 2001 before being eliminated in the group stages in 2005 and 2011.
· Mali have now won their last six group games at the finals, and are undefeated in their last 10 group games at the finals (W8 D2).
· Mali last lost at the group stages of the finals in their final pool game in 2011, a 2-1 defeat against Congo.
· Mali's record in their final group game reads P9 W7 L2.
· In their last 17 games at the finals, Mali have lost one game in open play, which was in the play-off for third in 2023 against Burkina Faso a 2-1 loss (W12 D4).
· Mali have only ever lost their final group game twice. In 1995, when already qualified for the semi-finals, they lost to Mozambique. They also lost in 2011 against Congo. Both were 2-1 defeats.
· Mali have won their final group game at the last three tournaments they have participated in.
COTE D'IVOIRE FACTS
· Cote d'Ivoire began with a 6-1 win over Central African Republic and then drew their next game 0-0 against Angola.
· Should they reach the quarter-finals, it will be the fourth time that the Cote d'Ivoire will have passed beyond the group stages, along with 2005, 2011 and 2013.
· Cote d'Ivoire have been previously eliminated at the group stages in 1997 and 2015.
· Progression to the next round will see Cote d'Ivoire qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup for a fourth time.
· In five previous final group games at the tournament, their record reads W2 D1 L2.
· Previously in their final group game at the finals, Cote d'Ivoire won against Gambia in 2011 and South Africa in 2005, winning 4-1 and 1-0 respectively. They lost to Mali (2015) and Egypt (1997), losing 1-0 and 2-0 respectively. They drew 0-0 with Ghana in 2013.
· Cote d'Ivoire won the title when Morocco were hosts in 2013. They have now played seven games in the finals in Morocco and are yet to lose (W3 D4).
· At the previous finals in Morocco in 2013, Cote d'Ivoire scored five goals in five games as they went onto be champions. At the current finals they have already scored six goals.
· The six goals Cote d'Ivoire have scored at the current finals is the most they have managed since netting nine in 2011. In 2013 and 2015, they scored five and four goals respectively.
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