The Africa Cup of Nations has a habit of saving its biggest twists for the final minutes. At Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Mali thought they had made a powerful Group A statement. Instead, Patson Daka’s stoppage-time header turned a controlled Mali performance into a painful reminder that in tournament football, dominance means nothing without a ruthless finish.

On December 22, 2025, Mali and Zambia shared a 1-1 draw that felt anything but even. Mali led through Sinayoka’s second-half strike and controlled most of the game, but Zambia’s refusal to give up turned a likely defeat into a valuable point in the 90+2 minute.

Mali vs Zambia: AFCON 2025 Group A drama in Casablanca

This was not just another group game. It was a meeting of two nations with history, ambition, and something to prove in Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Group A.

Mali came into the match sitting 2nd in the group, aiming to tighten their grip on a knockout place. Zambia started the day in 3rd, knowing that every point could decide whether they stay alive in the competition or go home early.

Under the bright Casablanca sun and a 14:00 UTC kick-off, Stade Mohammed V set the stage for a game full of intensity, momentum swings, and late tension. From the first whistle, Mali took charge of the ball and the tempo. Zambia, however, never lost faith that one chance might change everything.

“Mali played like the better side, but Zambia walked away with the moment that really matters.”

Mali’s control, Zambia’s resistance

The match quickly settled into a clear pattern. Mali were the team on the front foot. They kept the ball, moved it with patience, and pushed Zambia back step by step.

Every time Mali attacked, it felt like something could happen. They used the wide areas well, stretched the Zambian back line, and tried to pull defenders out of position. Zambia, meanwhile, dug in deep, defending their box and waiting for counter-attacking chances that rarely came cleanly.

This was classic group-stage tournament football: one side building play and making the game, the other side trying to survive long enough to find a way back in. Mali won the tactical battle, but for a long time they could not find the final touch that would turn control into a comfortable lead.

Sinayoka finally breaks the deadlock for Mali

The breakthrough came just after the hour mark, and it felt like the goal had been coming for a while. In the 62nd minute, Sinayoka stepped up and delivered the moment Mali had been pushing for all game.

After so many waves of pressure, Sinayoka’s strike was both a reward and a release. It gave Mali a 1-0 lead and seemed to confirm the story everyone inside the stadium thought they were watching: the favourites, higher in the group standings, turning superiority into three points.

At that point, Zambia looked tired and stretched. Mali, 2nd in Group A before kick-off, looked on course to underline their status as serious contenders to go deep at AFCON 2025.

“Once Sinayoka scored, you expected Mali to close the door. Instead, they left it wide open in stoppage time.”

Zambia’s late show: Daka changes everything at 90+2

But Zambia were not finished. Even as Mali tried to manage the game and slow the tempo, there was a quiet sense that one clear chance might still fall Zambia’s way.

In tournament football, it only takes one moment. For Zambia, it came deep into stoppage time.

In the 90+2 minute, Patson Daka rose to meet a crucial late ball and struck with a header that may come to define Zambia’s Group A campaign. The timing was brutal for Mali and perfect for Zambia: a classic stoppage-time equaliser that swung the mood in the stadium from calm control to shock.

Daka’s goal did more than make it 1-1. It turned what looked like a damaging defeat for Zambia into a powerful emotional lift. From 3rd in the group and staring at a loss, Zambia left Casablanca with a result that keeps their AFCON 2025 hopes alive and sends a message that they will fight until the very last second.

“That Daka header wasn’t just a goal, it was Zambia shouting: we’re still here, don’t write us off in this group.”

What the 1-1 draw means for Group A

On paper, a 1-1 draw gives each side a point. But the meaning of that point is very different for Mali and Zambia.

For Mali, who started the day in 2nd place in Group A, this feels like a missed chance. They controlled possession, created more chances, and led for most of the second half. At this level, games like that are usually the ones top teams find a way to close out.

Letting the lead slip so late will raise questions inside the Mali camp:

• Did they manage the final minutes well enough?
• Were they sharp enough in front of goal when they were on top?
• Can they turn control into results in their next group matches?

Zambia, however, will walk away with their heads high. Starting 3rd in the group, they knew defeat would push them towards trouble. Instead, they delivered a response that shows character, belief, and mental strength.

This 1-1 draw could become a turning point for their AFCON 2025 story. Not just because of the point, but because of the way they earned it.

A result shaped by history: Mali vs Zambia head-to-head

The story of this match also sits inside a wider pattern between these two nations. Mali’s last win over Zambia came back in September 2022, a 1-0 result that ended a poor run against the Copper Bullets.

Before that 2022 victory, Mali had gone five games without beating Zambia: three draws and two defeats. That record shows this is rarely a simple fixture for Mali, no matter how well they are playing or where they sit in the group.

Seen through that lens, Zambia’s stoppage-time equaliser in Casablanca fits the rivalry. Again, Zambia found a way to avoid defeat. Again, Mali left the pitch thinking they should have taken more from the contest.

For Zambia, this is not just a dramatic late goal; it is another strong result against a side that has often struggled to put them away.

Tournament lessons: control vs belief

This match also offered a clear picture of two important sides of tournament football.

Mali showed why they are viewed as one of the stronger teams in Group A. They were calm on the ball, well-organised, and tactically sharp. They controlled the game for long spells and looked like a side built to go far in a competition if they can add more edge and focus in the final minutes.

Zambia, in contrast, showed something that numbers and match stats cannot fully measure: belief. Even while defending for long periods, they stayed in the game mentally. They trusted that one chance might come, and when it did, Patson Daka did exactly what top forwards are expected to do.

In a group-stage campaign that can turn quickly, those traits matter as much as any system or formation.

What comes next for Mali and Zambia at AFCON 2025

As Group A continues, this 1-1 draw at Stade Mohammed V will sit in the background of every decision and every game plan.

For Mali, the focus must be on turning control into results. They cannot afford many more games where they dominate but fail to win. The Sinayoka goal in the 62nd minute showed their quality. The Daka goal in the 90+2 exposed their need to be sharper in closing out matches.

For Zambia, the message is clear: they are in this tournament to compete, not just to make up the numbers. Coming from behind against a strong Mali side, late in the game, in a neutral venue like Casablanca, will give them confidence for the fixtures to come.

AFCON group stages are often decided by fine margins. In this case, Mali dropped two points they felt were theirs, and Zambia grabbed one that could prove priceless.

In the end, the scoreboard reads Mali 1–1 Zambia. But the real story is of a game where control met courage, where Sinayoka lit the path for Mali, and where Patson Daka, in the 90+2 minute, refused to let the lights go out on Zambia’s Africa Cup of Nations 2025 hopes.