By Nairaland Forum The Eagles are hoping to progress to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013, but they will be up against a stubborn National Thunder side

Mali will face off with Equatorial Guinea in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match at the Limbe Stadium on Wednesday.

The Eagles are hoping to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2013 when they finished third in South Africa. Mali have the edge over Equatorial Guinea heading into this encounter based on their pedigree in Afcon finals and current form.

The 1972 Afcon runners-up remain one of their few teams that are undefeated in this year’s tournament. The West African side finished at the top of Group F after accumulating seven points from three matches including wins over Tunisia and Mauritania.

They will take on an Equatorial Guinea side that is looking to continue its good record of reaching at least the quarter-finals each time they participate in the Afcon finals. This is National Thunder’s third appearance in the tournament having finished fourth in 2012 as co-hosts, before being eliminated in the quarter-finals as the sole hosts in 2015.

The Central African side had a slow start to the ongoing competition as they lost to Ivory Coast in their first match, but wins over Algeria and Sierra Leone earned them the runner-up spot on the Group C standings and they will be looking to make it three wins in a row when they face Mali. Read More

Source:: Nigerian Chatter