Turning Point Night: Tunisia’s Clash with Mali in AFCON 2025 Knockout
3 January 2026
Match Preview and Context
In AFCON 2025's knockout phase, Tunisia faces Mali at Mohammed V Stadium in a high-stakes Round of 16 clash. Mali advance as Group 1 runners-up with three draws, while Tunisia finished second in Group 3 with four points, including a 3-1 win over Uganda, a 1-1 draw with Tanzania, and a 2-3 defeat to Nigeria.
The Carthage Eagles hope to ride momentum and the anticipated return of Ferjani Sassi to the starting lineup as they seek a quarterfinal berth. The winner will meet the victor of the Senegal vs Sudan clash in the next round.
Starting Lineups and Stakes
According to Mosaïque FM, Tunisia could line up as follows: Goalkeeper: Aymen Dahman; Defense: Yann Valery, Montassar Talbi, Dylan Bronn, Ali Al-Abidi; Midfield: Elias Sakhiri, Ferjani Sassi, Mohamed Belhajj Mahmoud; Attack: Hannibal Mejbri, Ismail Al-Gharbi, Hazem Al-Mustouri.
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 local time on 3 January 2026, with the winner setting course for a quarterfinal against the winner of Senegal vs Sudan.
Source notes: Mosaïque FM reports the lineup and Tunisian squad details; Getty Images supplied the match photos.
Punchline 1: If football were a sniper game, Tunisia just pulled the trigger on hard mode and that’s when you know it’s about to get spicy.
Punchline 2: Mali’s defense is so chill that even the ball takes a bow before crossing the line.
