Tunisia have called off Saturday’s scheduled friendly against Mali after a difficult international window left the squad short of fit players and wary of the possible ranking consequences.
The Ligue 1 news
The Tunisian Football Federation agreed the cancellation with the national-team staff and the Malian federation, ending plans for a rematch of the sides’ Africa Cup of Nations meeting.
Injuries within the Tunisia squad were a decisive factor. The federation also considered the potential effect of the result on Tunisia’s FIFA ranking, with the Carthage Eagles currently 61st in the world.
The decision comes after a troubled start to Tunisia’s qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. They drew 1-1 with Uganda on Thursday before being held 2-2 by Botswana on Monday.
Form has been a concern since Tunisia’s last AFCON campaign, when Mali eliminated them in the round of 16 at the 2025 tournament. Tunisia have won only one of their last nine matches since that exit, a 1-0 friendly victory over Haiti at the end of March.
Mali arrive in stronger shape. They have recorded successive qualifying wins for the next Africa Cup of Nations, beating Cape Verde 3-1 and Liberia 1-0.
The next African appointment
The next Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to run from 19 June to 17 July, while Tunisia’s immediate friendly date against Mali will remain empty following the cancellation.
