Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet is confident in their chances of overcoming Senegal in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite admitting that they are underdogs.
The Eagles reached the last eight stage of the ongoing tournament in Morocco on Saturday night after showing resilience to beat Tunisia with 10 men.
In the pulsating encounter that travelled to extra time, goalkeeper Djigui Diarra was the hero in the penalty shootout, saving Tunisia's last two spot kicks to secure a 3-2 win for Mali.
Speaking after the match, Tom Saintfiet shared his delight and praised the performance of his players.
“I am proud of the goalkeeper and of all the players. Before the match, I told them that they are champions,” Saintfiet said.
Looking ahead to the quarter-final tie against Senegal, the coach admitted that the Lions of Teranga are favourites to win.
“Senegal will be the favourites, just as Morocco and Tunisia were in our previous matches,” the Belgian tactician said.
Despite his admission, Tom Saintfiet is optimistic Mali can defeat Senegal to reach the semi-finals of the AFCON.
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