Nigeria ended the March 2024 international break in ignominious fashion as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mali in a friendly match in Morocco.
Ranked 19 places below the Super Eagles in FIFA's latest standings, Mali fully merited a victory in front of a boisterous group of travelling fans in Marrakesh as Finidi George saw the early positivity of his interim spell in charge come to a swift end.
Atalanta striker El Bilal Toure opened the scoring in the first half after Nigeria had been pressured into a dreadful error in possession following a short goal kick, with Kamory Doumbia making the win safe with three minutes of normal time remaining.
Nigeria defeated Ghana 2-1 last Friday in a positive result and performance for George, the former Ajax and Real Betis winger who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, but this display will have left him with plenty of concerns before they resume World Cup qualifying in June.
MORE: A recap of Nigeria's narrow victory over 10-man Ghana
Nigeria vs Mali final score
| 2nd Half | Goal scorers | |
| Nigeria | 0 | |
| Mali | 2 | Toure 18', K. Doumbia 87' |
Starting lineups:
Nigeria (3-4-3, right to left): Nwabali (GK) — Omeruo, Awaziem, Ajayi — Osayi-Samuel, Ndidi, Onyedika, Collins — Iwobi, Iheanacho, Simon
Mali (4-3-3, right to left): Samassa (GK) — Traore, Kouyate, Sagnon, Guindo — Coulibaly, Samassekou, Haidara — Toure, K. Doumbia, Sinayoko
MORE: When and where is the next AFCON?
Toure, who has endured an injury-plagued season in Serie A, could barely believe his luck when defender Chidozie Awaziem tried to play a long square pass under pressure near the edge of the Nigeria box and succeeded only in crossing the ball straight to the Mali striker. He controlled well on his chest before bundling a finish past goalkeeper Stanely Nwabali.
Nigeria lost Moses Simon to injury when the Nantes star collided with Mali keeper Mamadou Samassa and had to be substituted after appearing to suffer a painful knee injury. Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers replaced him and was guilty of missing a gilt-edged chance to equalise when clean through on goal just past the hour mark.
The second half saw little by way of clear-cut openings as Mali's small travelling contingent of fans produced a remarkable din from their section of the stands. They were in full-on party mode with 87 minutes gone, Doumbia scoring with aplomb after another moment to forget for the experienced Kenneth Omeruo and the Nigeria defence.
If the win over Ghana was a welcome boost for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finalists, this was a reality check before they face South Africa in early June.
Moses Simon injury: What happened?
With around 10 minutes of the first half remaining, Moses Simon collided with Mali goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa while running through on goal from Alex Iwobi's pass.
The Nantes winger was clearly in discomfort, apparently having injured his knee, and was carried off on a stretcher as Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers was brought on as a substitute.
Nigeria vs Mali stats and head-to-head
| Nigeria | Stat | Mali |
| 2 | Shots | 7 |
| 0 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 58% | Possession | 42% |
| 5 | Corners | 2 |
| 0 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
This was the 12th meeting between these nations. Nigeria have the head-to-head advantage, with six wins and three defeats in those games.
Indeed, Mali's most recent previous win over the Super Eagles was a 4-1 friendly victory way back in 1975.
| Nigeria wins | Draws | Mali wins |
| 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Biggest victory | Biggest victory | |
| 4-1 (AFCON, 2013) | 4-1 (Friendly, 1975) |
Nigeria vs Mali kick off time
This international friendly kicks off at 9 p.m. local time in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Here is how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Tues, Mar. 26 | 5 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Tues, Mar. 26 | 5 p.m. ET |
| UK | Tues, Mar. 26 | 9 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Weds, Mar. 27 | 8 a.m.. AEDT |
| India | Weds, Mar. 27 | 2:30 a.m. IST |
Nigeria vs Mali lineups, team news
Finidi George has been hamstrung by injuries in this international break to key stars including Victor Osimhen, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Boniface, Ola Aina, and Zaidu Sanusi. Midfielder Frank Onyeka has also withdrawn from the squad.
He has rotated a little from the team that started against Ghana. Experienced centre-back Kenneth Omeruo comes in, while Wilfred Ndidi starts in midfield.
Nigeria (3-4-3, right to left): Nwabali (GK) — Omeruo, Awaziem, Ajayi — Osayi-Samuel, Ndidi, Onyedika, Collins — Iwobi, Iheanacho, Simon
Nigeria subs: Uzoho, Ojo, Tanimu, Lookman, Dessers, Umar, Tella, Dele-Bashiru, Onyemaechi, Yusuf
Mali were 2-0 winners over Mauritania in their previous match, but this will represent a sterner test of their qualities.
Mali (4-3-3, right to left): Samassa (GK) — Traore, Kouyate, Sagnon, Guindo — Coulibaly, Samassekou, Haidara — Toure, K. Doumbia, Sinayoko
Mali subs: Diarra, Sacko, Fofana, Maiga, M. Doumbia, Diaby, Diambou, Sylla, Dorgelles, Diabate, Niakate, Sissoko
Nigeria vs Mali live stream, TV channel
This match is not widely available to watch in major English-language territories, but international customers of bet365 should be able to follow a live stream from the stadium in Morocco.
