On Monday night, Mali and the Central African Republic clash in Group I of African qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Mali form guideThe home team extended their recent winning run to five games in their opening game in qualifying, as they recorded a 3-1 win over Chad. The game saw Mali continue their recent strong scoring streak, as they have now scored at least two goals in four of their previous five games.
Although the victory over Chad ended a short two-game winless streak in qualifying for Mali, the home team has still won five of their last seven World Cup qualifiers. They have also kept clean sheets in ten of their previous 12 matches in qualifying.
Mali has been a difficult opponent to beat on home soil in World Cup qualifying, as they have suffered just one defeat in their previous 14 home qualifiers while also keeping clean sheets in seven of their last nine home matches in qualifying.
Central African Republic form guideThe visitors head into this clash on the back of a three-game losing streak after they opened their qualifying campaign with a 4-2 defeat in Comoros. The match saw Raoul Savoy’s team concede at least two goals for a third straight game.
The defeat against Comoros continued a poor recent run of form for the Central African Republic in qualifying, as it was their fourth straight defeat in qualifiers. The game also saw the visitors concede at least two goals for the fourth consecutive qualifier.
The Central African Republic has won just one of their nine away games in World Cup qualifying, with seven defeats. Poor defensive displays have been the main cause for their recent away results in qualifying, as they have conceded at least two goals in eight of their last nine qualifiers on their travels.
What am I backing?It is hard to back anything other than a home victory in this encounter. However, I am going to back over 2.5 goals scored instead, as it offers far better odds than the home win.
