Deja Vu on the Pitch: Mali’s Three-Draw Route to AFCON 2025 Quarterfinals
4 January 2026
Context
In AFCON 2025 hosted in Morocco, a striking paradox echoes the 2019 edition: teams advance to the knockout stage after three group-stage draws, without a single win. The Senegalese side is back in the spotlight, proving that football occasionally loves a good repeat performance.
Historical parallels
In 2019, held in Egypt, Benin progressed to the knockout rounds after three draws in the group phase, then eliminated Morocco on penalties in the Round of 16, before facing Senegal in the quarterfinals and losing 1-0.
Similarly, Mali has repeated the same script in the current edition: after three draws in the group stage, they reached the knockout round and beat Tunisia on penalties in the Round of 16 to face Senegal in the quarterfinals.
Mali finished second in a group that included Morocco, Zambia, and the Comoros, with three points.
The drama continued as Mali challenged in the knockout rounds, mirroring the classic AFCON roulette where draws can be just as decisive as wins.
Punchlines aside, if football were a library, Mali would be checking out a book titled "Three Draws and a Penalty Shootout". And if déjà vu were an event, AFCON would be the longest-running sequel in sports history.
