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Victor Dias - January 10, 2024
Football supporters will keep a close eye on Group E fixtures as it consists of Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, and Namibia. Namibia is a surprise entry in this year’s competition as their last appearance was back in 2019.
The first fixture of Group E will be between Tunisia and Namibia at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium. It is interesting to note that Mali are the highest ranked amongst Group E teams and they have a good squad to compete.
South Africa’s first appearance in this competition was back in 1996 and they were crowned champions. Their last appearance was in 2019 and they lost to Nigeria by 2-1 in the quarter finals.
Manager Hugo Broos has selected many key players including Ronwen Williams, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, Terrence Mashego. He has said that, the team’s main objective is to avoid crashing out from the group stage.
Bafana Bafana will play a friendly match against Lesotho behind closed doors at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville before departing for Côte d’Ivoire on 11 January 2024.
Namibia finished at the bottom of the table in the COSAFA Cup. In this competition, they have made three appearances, and what is interesting is that they were knocked out in the first round in all three competitions.
In the 2019 edition, they played poorly in their group stage fixtures and lost all games. Moreover, they scored only a single goal. Manager Collin Benjamin said that, “Before we think of outplaying our opponents, we have to outplay our previous performances in the tournament. AFCON is our World Cup and our aim is to leave a mark,”
Tunisia have a long history in this competition. They have participated in the Africa Cup of Nations 21 times. First participation took place in 1962, they finished third place in that tournament by defeating Uganda.
In the 1996 edition, the team reached the final for the second time but was again defeated by hosts South Africa 0-2. Eventually, they lifted this trophy in the 2004 edition in which they defeated Morocco by 2-1.
This time, manager Jalel Kadri selected many top strikers including Sayfallah Ltaief, Bassem Srarfi, Naim Sliti, and Elias Achouri. His main objective is to secure the highest GF in Group E fixtures. As he is aware of Namibia’s defensive capabilities.
Mali showed great strength when they faced Guinea-Bissau in a friendly game. They won by scoring six goals and many football fans will pay close attention towards Mali’s progress in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Previous records show that they have successfully reached the round of 16 of this competition in the last two editions. A key addtition to Mali’s squad is Premier League star Yves Bissouma. He will add strength to the midfield and will help Les Aigles reach great heights.
Namibia’s poor performance in the COSAFA Cup have created trouble for them. Their opponents Mali are a strong side and therefore it will be a difficult road for them to reach the round of 16. Looking at Mali, they have a long history in this competition, they have a solid squad and are one of the favourites to finish at the top of the table. South Africa’s case is different and they will take one game at a time. They missed a spot in the group stage of this competition back in 2021.
