The Moroccan national team will face a strong challenge against their Malian counterpart the day after tomorrow, Friday, as part of the second round of the group stage in the Africa Cup of Nations, at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, in a match that holds great importance in securing early qualification.

The team enters the match with high spirits, benefiting from the home ground and crowd support, with a clear ambition to continue its positive results in the continental competition, amid the technical stability and balance it has shown during its recent matches, both defensively and offensively.

The Moroccan technical staff is counting on the increasing harmony among the players to impose their style from the first minutes and avoid any surprises against the Malian team, known for its physical strength and speed in offensive transitions.

Statistics indicate a relative historic superiority for the Moroccan team in its encounters against Mali, as the two teams have met in 20 official and friendly matches, in which the "Atlas Lions" achieved 9 victories, suffered 6 defeats, and 5 matches ended in draws.

The Moroccan team recorded its biggest victory in the history of these encounters with a 6-0 win during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Rabat, and has kept a clean sheet in the last three matches against Mali, achieving two wins and one draw.

On the other hand, Mali's last victory over Morocco dates back to 2006, in a friendly match that ended 1-0, which adds to the importance of the upcoming face-off between the two sides on Friday.