May 11, (THEWILL) – The Malian Under-17 national team secured their place in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a convincing 3-0 win over Congo, on Thursday.
The victory also means that Mali has booked their spot in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, becoming the third African nation to do so after Morocco and Senegal booked their slots on Wednesday.
Ange Tia, Mamadou Doumbia, and Mohamoud Barry were the heroes of the game, with each scoring a goal for the Malian Eagles to qualify. Tia gave Mali an early lead, breaking into the box and firing a shot into the far left corner. Doumbia doubled their lead in the 31st minute before Barry sealed the victory from the penalty spot in the second half.
Mali were the dominant team and maintained control throughout the game, pinning Congo into their own half and creating numerous chances. The victory sets up a semi-final clash against Morocco on Sunday, as Mali looks to secure what is set to be their third U-17 AFCON title.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
