Mali - Cape Verde: The start of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
On Friday, September 25, we have the first Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, in which Mali will face Cape Verde. The match kicks off at 9:00 PM CET, and I am offering a bet on it.
Mali - Cape Verde: Match preview
Mali finished only third in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying group. The team were once again left without a place at the World Cup. However, at the Africa Cup of Nations, Mali drew all three of their group-stage matches but still reached the playoffs, where they managed to beat Tunisia on penalties. They were eventually eliminated by Senegal, who beat Mali 1:0 in the quarter-finals. In 2026, Mali have played two friendly matches, losing one and drawing the other.
The Cape Verde national team have been attracting more and more attention lately. First, the team confidently won their qualifying group, finishing ahead of Cameroon, and then they made a strong impression at their debut World Cup. All four of Cape Verde's matches ended in draws in regular time: first against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the group stage, and then even against Argentina in the playoffs. In the match against the reigning world champions, the winner was decided by a goal in extra time, to which Cape Verde were unable to respond.
Match facts and H2H
- Mali have not lost in their last three matches: two draws and one defeat.
- Mali have failed to score in four of their last five matches.
- Cape Verde have failed to win their last four matches: three draws and one defeat.
- Mali thrashed Cape Verde 3:0 in their last head-to-head meeting.
Probable lineups
- Mali: Samassa, Gassama, Cissé, Doucouré, Dante, Maïga, Sidibé, Dieng, Diakité, Doumbia, Diakité
- Cape Verde: Vozinha, Lopes Cabral, Roberto Lopes, Moreira, Diney, Kevin Pina, Duarte, Duarte, Cabral, Da Costa, Mendes
Prediction
We are in for a very tense and intriguing game. It is an important match, with both teams eager to pick up points. I am offering a bet on under 2.5 total goals at odds of 1.43.
