Zambia grabbed a dramatic late equaliser against Mali in their opening fixture of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as the two sides played out a 1–1 draw in the second Group A match at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
Mali looked on course for all three points after Lassine Sinayoko fired them into the lead in the 61st minute, but Patson Daka’s stoppage-time header rescued a valuable point for the Chipolopolo in a tense AFCON encounter.
The Eagles started brightly and imposed themselves from the opening exchanges, dominating possession and pushing Zambia deep inside their own half.
Their early control translated into clear chances, with Mali dictating the tempo for much of the first half.
Mali came closest to opening the scoring late in the first period when Nene Dorgeles was brought down in the penalty area by Matthews Banda.
El Bilal Touré stepped up to take the spot kick, but his low effort was brilliantly saved by Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza to keep the scores level at the break.
The breakthrough eventually arrived just after the hour mark. A loose ball inside the box fell kindly to Sinayoko, who reacted quickest and smashed a powerful effort beneath the crossbar to give Mali a deserved lead.
With twenty minutes remaining, Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet moved to protect the advantage, introducing fresh legs by replacing Dorgeles Nene and Touré with Doumbia and Diarra.
Sinayoko nearly doubled the lead moments later, his curling effort narrowly missing the top corner.
However, Zambia refused to relent. Deep into stoppage time, a lapse in Mali’s marking proved costly as Daka rose highest in the box to power home a header, silencing the Casablanca crowd and snatching a dramatic equaliser.
The final whistle confirmed a frustrating outcome for Mali, who controlled long spells of the contest but failed to fully capitalise on their dominance.
Meanwhile, Zambia showed resilience and belief, underlining their ability to remain competitive until the very end.
The result leaves both sides two points behind hosts Morocco in the Group A standings, after the Atlas Lions opened their campaign with a 2–0 victory over Comoros in the first game of the tournament.
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Story by Xavier Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
