CAN 2025 / Morocco – Mali: who holds the historical edge
CAN 2025 / Morocco – Mali: head-to-head history
Even before the Lions’ buses roll through the gates of Prince Moulay Abdellah, the scoreboard reveals Morocco’s overwhelming superiority: 9 wins to 6, 36 goals scored to just 14 conceded, and five draws that feel like mere layovers before the final whistle. Cold statistics, but they set passions ablaze.
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Head-to-head record
20 official encounters:
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Goal difference: 36 – 14
Since the emphatic 6-0 win in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, the Eagles have carried the sting of that defeat; the Lions, meanwhile, still thrive on the echoes of that unforgettable night.
When the past resurfaces
Mali hasn’t forgotten the 2004 AFCON semi-final: 4-0, a symbol of a scarred generation. Nor the 2021 CHAN final, 2-0, the same old story. Each loss has left its mark. This duel marks the first ever group stage meeting at the AFCON. For the Eagles, it’s a chance to finally break the cycle. For the Lions, it’s an opportunity to prove that in Rabat, history is written in just one name.
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Tonight, the present shapes the future
With bitter memories and weighty statistics in the air, the match will kick off at 8:30 p.m. under a storm of camera flashes. Mali wants to erase the past; Morocco aims to seal it. A draw would almost be enough for the Lions to breathe easy, but victory would delight their home crowd and put one foot in the next round. The Eagles know another defeat would reopen old wounds; a win, at last, would erase twenty years of heartache.