Prediction: Mali win
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These two nations are playing at the top of their game in the wake of the group stage coming to an end, and we re really excited to see what they re going to serve up for us during their Round of 16 encounter. We are, of course, referring to Mali and Ivory Coast, who have been two of the more notable names on the African football scene in the last decade or so. They re tough, they ve got a lot of depth, and they aren t afraid to throw everything against the wall in order to see what sticks.
Mali have been on the verge of breaking into the upper echelons of African football for quite some time now, and it feels as if their future is incredibly bright. They ve got an array of extremely exciting young stars, they re starting to piece things together, and they have the kind of attacking style that is always going to win over the masses. They aren t exactly the favourites in this one but in a lot of ways, they re going to prefer that, especially against a team that has a habit of failing to live up to expectations.
Team News
Diaby is set to return to the starting XI after being rested in Mali s last outing, with Marega being tipped to return to the line-up.
Ivory Coast
The team we re referring to, of course, is the Ivory Coast. They have often been looked upon as one of Africa s greatest representatives in world football, but the evidence doesn t necessarily show that. They ve got some real star quality in their ranks and there s no way of getting around it, but now it s about executing and delivering when it matters the most. They ve been inconsistent in this tournament so far, and they need to pick up a big win in order to start regaining that momentum.
Team News
Bagayoko will continue at right-back due to Aurier s injury, with Zaha and Gradel both expected to start. Kodjia and Pepe will likely return to the starting XI.
Factors to Consider
In their last meeting in October 2017, Mali drew 0-0 with Ivory Coast.
Mali have won two and drawn one of their AFCON games so far.
Ivory Coast have won two and lost one of their AFCON games so far.
Mali have scored six goals and conceded two in the tournament.
Ivory Coast have scored five goals and conceded two in the tournament.
Conclusion
The thing about Mali is that you never quite know what they re going to come out with next, which is why we think they re so dangerous to Ivory Coast in this game. They just seem to want it a little bit more, and because of that, we re backing them to get the win and progress into the quarter-finals. We ve already seen a few surprises here and there throughout the course of the tournament, and while some fans wouldn t necessarily see this as a surprise, it d certainly turn a few heads.
Prediction: Mali win
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