Espérance vs Stade Malien: H2H, lineups and match prediction — November 22, 2025
Stade Malien
On Saturday, November 22, in the opening round of the CAF Champions League, Tunisian side Espérance will face off against Malian club Stade Malien. Read on for details about both teams and a match prediction in this article.
Match preview
Espérance enter their CAF Champions League campaign in excellent spirits. The team is firmly atop the national championship and in their last outing drew with their closest rivals, Club African, preventing their opponents from closing the gap.
Last season, the Tunisian club reached the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League, where they lost to eventual finalists, South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, failing to score a single goal. It's worth remembering that not so long ago, Espérance lifted this trophy, having won the tournament in the 2018/19 season.
Stade Malien, although absent from the CAF Champions League since the 2020/21 season, remain an iconic club in the competition’s history. The Malian side played in the very first CAF Champions League final back in 1964. To reach the group stage this year, Stade Malien had to overcome two clubs: Tempête Mocaf from the Central African Republic and then Nouadhibou from Mauritania.
Currently, Stade Malien are leading the national league with confidence and are closing in on the title, sitting four points ahead of their main rivals, Djoliba. This season could be historic for the club: a potential championship and their return to the CAF Champions League promise to be major milestones.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Espérance are unbeaten in their last thirteen matches.
- Espérance have scored first in eight of their last ten games.
- Stade Malien, meanwhile, are undefeated in their last twenty-one matches.
- Seven of Stade Malien’s last eight matches have featured fewer than three goals.
- These teams have met only once before—in the 2015 CAF Confederation Cup. On that occasion, the Malian club claimed victory, defeating their opponents 2-1.
Probable lineups
- Espérance: Said - Ali, Jelassi, Meriah, Ben Hmida - Ogbelu, Teka, Jbéli - Sasse, Belaïli, Danho
- Stade Malien: Traoré N. - Kamate, Doumbia, Savadogo, Traoré D. - Diarra, Coulibaly Y., Traore M. - Coulibaly O., Coulibaly D., Nkeng
Prediction
I believe Espérance have the upper hand at the moment. Yes, Stade Malien have not lost in a long time, but most of those results have come in domestic competition. On the international stage, the Tunisian club have far more experience. That’s why the optimal bet here is on an Espérance victory.
