Patson Daka’s injury-time header secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Mali at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V after Lassine Sinayoko had put Mali ahead just after the hour mark in the Group A encounter.

Tom Saintfiet – Mali coach: “The equaliser was very painful. We wanted to score three goals in this match. Our problems started after we missed a penalty. We need to keep our emotions in check.

I would have preferred to take all three points against Zambia, especially after controlling the game for 90 minutes. This equaliser felt like a win for Zambia and a loss for us.

Now we must prepare well for the next matches. Zambia has strong midfield players who stopped us from achieving our goals. We need at least one point against Morocco in our next match.

We want to finish second in the group. Our goal is to reach the final, and that is still possible.”

In contrast, Zambia’s head coach was pleased with his team’s fighting spirit.

Moses Sichone: “My players performed well against Mali in a tough opening match. We conceded a goal at a critical moment, which we need to address. A match lasts 90 minutes, and it’s important to keep pushing until the end.

Congratulations to Morocco on their win against Comoros. Our next match is against Comoros, who played strongly. We’ll prepare and continue to work on our strengths.”