'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Eswatini and Mali lock horns at the Mbombela Stadium in neutral South Africa on Tuesday at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Neither side won their opening game in Group I last week.
Ranked 155th in the world, the King's Shield were beaten 1-0 by Guinea-Bissau. Jorge Bura struck the only goal of the game in the 14th minute as the visitors were unable to claw their way back into it.
It was their second consecutive loss in all competitions and extended their winless run to seven games. If the side were to keep alive their ambitions of debuting at the AFCON finals, it's imperative for the southern African side to pick up points sooner rather than later.
On the other hand, Mali fought back to earn a point against Mozambique. They had fallen behind to a 37th-minute strike from Geny Catamo, but Tottenham Hotspur star Yves Bissouma brought them level after the break.
Having qualified for the last nine editions of the AFCON tournament in a row, the west African side are looking to make it 10 in a row next year, and the form of their next opponents should give them the confidence to pick up a win.
Eswatini vs Mali Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Interestingly, this will be the first official encounter between the sides.
- The Eagles are winless in their last three games, drawing their most recent two.
- The King's Shield are winless in their last seven games, and have failed to score in their last four.
- Mali are ranked 53rd in the world while their rivals from southern Africa are 102 places adrift of them, according to the latest FIFA World Rankings.
Eswatini vs Mali Prediction
The Eagles have struggled lately but possess plenty of quality within their ranks that can hurt the King's Shield in this match. The latter have gone off the boil since starting the year with a convincing 3-0 win over Somalia at the AFCON finals, failing to win any of the next seven.
Their attack has also been non-existent lately, and we expect Mali to secure a narrow victory.
Prediction: Eswatini 0-1 Mali
Eswatini vs Mali Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Mali to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
