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Mali and Israel lock horns at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Wednesday for their opening group fixture of the 2024 Summer Olympics Men's Tournament. The sides have been drawn in Group D alongside Japan and Paraguay.
Following their appearances at the 1968 and 1976 Olympic Games, Israel endured a long absence from the competition but qualified on the basis of a strong finish in last year's European U21 Championship.
They reached the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time in their history, which paved their way to the Paris games. Head coach Guy Lazon has now brought in a talented group of players to compete at the Olympics, including Bayern Munich goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.
Mali, too, had a great run at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations last year, finishing third to win bronze, and a place at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This marks their first appearance at the games since 2004, when the north African side had reached the last-eight.
The Eagles prepared for the Paris showpiece with a pair of friendly games against Uzbekistan last month, drawing the first 1-1 before a 2-1 win. Head coach Alou Badra Diallo has called up an interesting group of youngsters who are plying their trade in various league around the world.
Mali vs Israel Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the first meeting between Mali and Israel at the Olympics.
- Mali's U23 side are unbeaten in 2024, winning two and drawing one of their three games so far.
- Israel are playing at the Olympics for the first time since 1976, ending a wait of 48 years; Mali are making their first appearance since 2004.
- Israel have mainly called up home-based players, with only Daniel Peretz, Stav Lamkin, Omri Gandelman, Oscar Gloukh, and Liel Abada plying their trade on foreign soil. By contrast, Mali have called up only four home-based players.
Mali vs Israel Prediction
Mali have some good attacking options who can ruffle a few Israeli feathers, but Guy Lazon's side won't go down that easily. We expect them to fight back and secure a draw at least.
Prediction: Mali 1-1 Israel
Mali vs Israel Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
