At the end of a sleepless evening (two 0-0s, the first of this African Cup of Nations), nothing has changed in this group E. Mali finishes first in this very homogeneous group with 5 points, ahead of Namibia (4 points), South Africa (4 points) and Tunisia (2 points).
Namibia, third in the group, validated its ticket for the final stages as “best third” thanks to its four points. Mali, opposed to Collin Benjamin’s players, did not force San Pédro to secure their place at the top of the group. In control (67% possession), the Malians conceded a post at the end of the first half, then almost nothing, despite the few Namibian offensives.
For its part, Tunisia tried, in vain, to take the advantage against South Africa to secure its place for the next round. But the South Africans resisted well for 90 minutes and reached the round of 16, as in 2019. Present in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup and at least quarter-finalist in the last four editions of the African Cup of Nations, Tunisia marks the poor performance of this group. On the contrary, Namibia is joining the final stages of the African Cup of Nations for the first time in its history.