A first-half goal from Hamza Rafia earned Tunisia, the 2004 champions, their initial point in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, securing a draw against Mali.
Midfielder Rafia seized the opportunity first, redirecting Ali Abdi’s cross into the net via goalkeeper Djigui Diarra’s body. Despite Mali taking the lead with Lassine Sinayoko’s drilled opener, they are on the verge of advancing to the last 16.
Kamory Doumbia came close to restoring the Eagles’ lead six minutes into the second half, narrowly missing the target with a stabbed shot.
In their final group-stage game against Namibia on Wednesday (17:00 GMT), Eric Chelle’s side will require at least a draw to progress. However, the dynamics of Group E will shift when the Brave Warriors and Bafana Bafana clash in their second matches on Sunday (20:00 GMT).
On a night marked by inaccurate shooting, the pre-Afcon favorites for group leadership both capitalized on their only attempts on target. Auxerre forward Sinayoko scored his second goal of the finals with a powerful diagonal drive that found the net off the far post.
The lead held for a duration of 10 minutes before Abdi exhibited nimble footwork to redirect a low pass from inside the box back into Rafia’s path for the equalizer.
Sinayoko had an opportunity to match the top scorers at Afcon, including Algeria’s Baghdad Bounedjah and Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue, but his finish soared high over the crossbar when meeting Hamari Traore’s well-placed delivery in front of the goal.
Tunisia goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said had a moment of relief as Doumbia’s effort beat his dive but rolled behind.
In the closing stages, substitute Yves Bissouma, brought on in the 83rd minute, posed a threat, firing wide from the edge of the box. This resulted in Mali missing out on a third victory in four Afcon meetings with Tunisia, as two of these encounters have now ended in draws.
Jalel Kadri’s squad, following a surprising 1-0 defeat to Namibia in their opening match, will face South Africa in their deciding game and currently trail Mali by three points in third place.