Mali begin their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign at home against Cape Verde in what promises to be a competitive opening fixture.
Mali reached the quarter-finals of the most recent Africa Cup of Nations and have established themselves as a difficult side to face in African competition. Their midfield strength and physical approach should allow them to compete effectively, while playing at home gives them another advantage.
Cape Verde, meanwhile, arrive with considerable confidence after an impressive 2026 World Cup campaign. They held Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to draws before pushing Argentina into extra time in the knockout stage.
Mali host Cape Verde on September 25 at Stade du 26 Mars in the opening round of Group K in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. It is an intriguing fixture because the two sides arrive after very different international campaigns. Mali finished third in Group I of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with 18 points from 10 matches, scoring 17 and conceding six. At AFCON 2025, they finished second in Group A with three points before reaching the quarter-finals. Across their last eight matches, Mali beat Madagascar 4-1, drew with Zambia, Morocco, Comoros, Tunisia and Russia, then lost 0-1 to Senegal and 0-2 to Iran. Their defensive record is solid, although their attacking consistency remains questionable. Cape Verde have made significant progress. They topped World Cup qualifying Group D with 23 points from 10 matches, recording seven wins, two draws and one defeat, before reaching the 2026 World Cup knockout stage after going unbeaten in the group phase. Their last eight matches brought two wins, four