• Home
  • Football

Morocco vs Mali Preview and Betting Tips - Atlas Lions to Show Quality in International Friendly

tolu-shotade
Editor
Last updated: Fri 02 Oct 2026 13:37
Morocco and Mali face off in an international friendly at the Grand Stade de Tangier, with both teams coming off wins in their AFCON qualifiers. Morocco have been in red-hot form, winning five of their last seven and looking especially formidable at home. Conversely, Mali have struggled away, picking up just two wins in their last ten and none in six of their last seven away games. With key players like Ounahi and Diaz in form, Morocco are tipped to have the edge in this fixture.
Tolu Shotade 1 hour ago
Share this article
Or copy link
  • Morocco have won five of their last seven matches; unbeaten in their last three home games.
  • Mali are winless in six of their last seven away matches.
  • Morocco favoured to win, with key players like Hakimi, Diaz, and Ounahi expected to start.
Morocco vs Mali
The Morocco national team pose for a group photo (Getty Images)

Morocco vs Mali International Friendly Preview


Fresh from solid starts to their AFCON qualifying campaigns, Morocco and Mali square off in an international friendly at the Grand Stade de Tangier. 

The Atlas Lions will be keen to give the home fans a show and should have the upper hand over the West Africans, who do not travel well. 

Key Stats 


  • Morocco have won five of their last seven matches in all competitions. 
  • Morocco have won their last three home matches.
  • Mali are winless in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
  • Mali are winless in six of their last seven away matches in all competitions.

Morocco with the Edge 


Morocco have four wins while Mali have picked up three victories, with three draws in the last 10 matches. The most recent meeting was a group stage clash at the 2025 AFCON, with both teams battling to a 1-1 draw.

Morocco Remain Imperious 


Morocco head into this clash off the back of a 2-0 victory over Lesotho in the AFCON qualifiers. Brahim Diaz opened the scoring just before the break while Azzedine Ounahi added the second eight minutes from time. 

That was the second straight win for Morocco, who began with a 2-0 home victory over Gabon. Both results are part of a solid run for Mohamed Ouahbi's team, who have won five of their last seven matches in all competitions. 

Morocco often do their best work on home soil and will be looking to put on a show for the fans in this one. The Atlas Lions have won their last three home matches in all competitions. 

Mali’s Away Blues

 
Mali are also coming off a victory after picking up a 1-0 win over Liberia in the qualifiers. They were made to work hard for the win, with a second-half strike from Martial Tia proving the difference. 

The result means Mali will head to Tangier with some confidence, having now picked up two straight wins. Les Aigles began their qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Cape Verde. 

While things appear smooth for Mali, a closer look at their recent form reveals they have only picked up two wins from their last 10 matches in all competitions. Anthony da Silva’s team have also struggled on their travels and are winless in six of their last seven away matches in all competitions.

Team News & Predicted Line-ups 


Morocco (4-2-3-1): Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi; Issa Diop, Abdelhamid Ait Boudial, Noussair Mazraoui; Ayoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui; Brahim Diaz, Azzedine Ounahi, Abde Ezzalzouli; Soufiane Rahimi. 

Achraf Hakimi and Soufiane Rahimi could earn starts after coming off the bench last time out, while Ayoub Bouaddi is also pushing to return having sat out the win over Lesotho. Ounahi and Diaz are expected to retain their places in the team following their goals in the previous fixture.
 
Mali (4-2-3-1): Djigui Diarra; Hamari Traore, Ousmane Camara, Nathan Gassama, Daouda Guindo; Mamadou Sangare, Aliou Dieng; Martial Tia, Kamori Doumbia, Dorgeles Nene; Lassine Sinayoko. 

Tia is likely to be handed another start after netting Mali’s only goal last time out. Lassine Sinayoko should lead the line for the West Africans while Ousmane Camara and Nathan Gassama are set to continue their partnership in central defence. 

Verdict

Morocco have looked almost unstoppable lately and are particularly tough to face on home soil. 

They should have the upper hand over Mali, who often find things difficult on their travels.

Best Bet1: Morocco To Win @11/20 at bet365 - 4 Units
Morocco
To Win
@11/20 - 4 Units
Bet £10 Get £30
with bonus code NEWBONUS

Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5 or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30 in Bet Credits. Once released, your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The bonus code NEWBONUS can be used during registration but does not change the offer amount in any way. #ad

Bet at bet365
tolu-shotade
Tolu Shotade

Football Writer • 10+ Years as a Betting Analyst, TV & Radio Lead Presenter

Worked as a sports anchor on radio between 2007 and 2012 before switching to television. Tolu was the lead presenter for the Italian Serie A, English Premier League and German Bundesliga on satellite television in Africa and joined SuperSport in 2017. He began writing for freetips.com in 2018 and has a deep knowledge of the African leagues as well as Europe's top 5 leagues including the UEFA Champions League and Europa League. Favourite Sports: Football addict with interests in boxing and tennis.

Read More

Top Betting Sites

special-offer-1Betting offers

Upcoming Events

04 Oct 2026

Morocco v Mali

days

hours

min

Add to Calendar
Hear more from Freetips.com