Mali coach Diané Nouhoum has admitted that their tie against Mauritania on Tuesday is not exactly a straightforward victory as the two sides matchup in their last Group D fixture at the ongoing 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN).Against Mauritania, Mali face their neighbours in a much-anticipated West African derby that reflects a modern-day David vs Goliath matchup.The two sides last faced each other in September 2019 in the CHAN 2020 Qualifiers where they settled for a goalless draw before in the first leg in Nouakchott before Mali defeated Mauritania 2-0 in the return leg in Bamako to progress to the tournament that was played in 2021 in Cameroon where they reached the final against eventual winners Morocco.Team Mali 🇲🇱 have arrived in Sousse, Tunisia to prepare for the 2022 CHAN competition.Mali 🇲🇱 who are two times runners-up are in group with Angola and Mauritania for CHAN which commences on 12th January in Algeriapic.twitter.com/f4I6vE0hgB— Our African Football (@ourAfricanFooty) January 4, 2023 Speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference on Monday, Nouhoum highlighted that there are no small teams at the tournament and that every team deserves to be respected regardless of their history.Having reached two CHAN finals in 2016 in Rwanda and in 2021 in Cameroon, the head coach noted that they do not want to be distracted by their past success but instead focus on the task at hand.“We know that it will not be easy to win against a team that is achieving progress day by day. If I am not mistaken, they have the same players who play in their Team A which makes things very difficult for us. Every team in this tournament is great and we know that Mauritania have good momentum right now,” Nouhoum admitted.##NAJAVA_MECA_6962300##Mali have one point from one game following a commendable comeback to overturn a 3-1 deficit to level the scoreline 3-3 against Angola in their opener – a stunning performance that gave them a lifeline to progress to the next stage.On the other hand, Mauritania coach Amir Abdou has shown confidence in his side to produce a positive result when they come up against their opponents.Abdou, who is enjoying a 14-game unbeaten run since taking over the side in March last year, has admitted that after bagging a point in their opener against Angola following a goalless draw, they will be leaving everything on the pitch.Engin Firat lines up three friendly matches for Harambee Stars“We are optimistic about our next game. We know that we are playing against Mali who were finalists at the last edition, so they are a very good side. Even though we have not lost in 14 games, we must be as humble as possible,” he added.The Lions of Chinguetti earned their first point at the competition when they held Angola to a goalless draw last week on Friday.The match kicks off at 1900EAT with the winners assured of a place in the quarter finals.🇲🇬 Topping your #TotalEnergiesCHAN group in your debut campaign 👏How far will Madagascar go? 🤔 #TotalEnergiesCHAN2022 pic.twitter.com/jdICMI9Zuj— MARHABA (@CAF_Online) January 24, 2023 Niger vs CameroonThe two sides clash at the ongoing tournament in Algeria at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran with places in the last eight at stake.The Menas, who managed a draw against Congo in their first game, will need to overcome Cameroon to progress to the quarter-finals but insist the pressure is on their highly-fancied opponents.##NAJAVA_MECA_6968868##“We have no pressure. It is Cameroon that have pressure because of the result that they got in their first game. We shall approach the game searching for victory and to cause problems for our opponents. We must avoid being exposed,” Niger coach Harouna Doula said.On the other hand, Cameroon coach Saidou Alioum disclosed that his side is welcoming the pressure they face ahead of their last Group E match.Everything you need to know about Ice Hockey in Kenya“It is true that Cameroon is a great football nation. We like pressure. We want pressure. The players are ready since the start of the competition. We are in a group that it is complicated, but I am very happy that they are motivated. We shall give everything to win this game,” Alioum explained.Cameroon edged archrivals Congo 1-0 in their opening match and sit on top of Group E with three points but must win their game against Niger to stand a chance to progress to the last eight of the continental tournament.The game kicks off at 2200EAT.
