Mali — Rwanda

Group K pairs Mali with Rwanda over two legs.

FIFA ranking: #53 · AFCON titles: 0

Head coach: Anthony da Silva

FIFA ranking: #128 · AFCON titles: 0

Head coach: Stephen Constantine

Mali come in 75 places higher in the FIFA ranking (53 against 128).

Previous meetings

Mali lead the head-to-head, 2 wins to 0 from 2 meetings, with 0 drawn.

Meetings2
Mali2
Rwanda0
Draws0

Last meeting: November 11, 2021, Mali 3–0 Rwanda (World Cup - Qualification Africa).

Source: API-Football

Both legs

Matchday Home Away Match window Kick-off
3 Mali Rwanda November 9 – November 17, 2026 to be confirmed
4 Rwanda Mali November 9 – November 17, 2026 to be confirmed

Kick-off times are shown as to be confirmed because CAF has published windows, not individual dates.

Where these teams are shown

CountryWhere to watchStatus
MaliORTMFree to air Held rights for the 2025 edition

The rights column states which edition each broadcaster is confirmed for, not which one it is assumed to carry.

The group context

Both sides play six qualifiers in Group K. How many go through has not been announced.

Group K →

Common questions

When do Mali and Rwanda play?
Two matches, on matchdays 3 and 4, inside the November 9 – November 17, 2026 windows. CAF has published the pairings and the windows but not the dates or kick-off times: those are agreed federation by federation a few weeks before each window. We show them as to be confirmed rather than invent them.
What is the head-to-head record between Mali and Rwanda?
They have met 2 time(s) in the records we hold. Mali lead 2–0 with 0 drawn, the last on November 11, 2021. Those meetings came in earlier qualifying campaigns and friendlies, not in this cycle, so they carry no weight in the group table.
Which side is stronger on paper?
Mali is the higher-ranked side, at #53 against #128 — a gap of 75 places on the FIFA list published on July 20, 2026. Over six qualifying matches that gap matters less than it looks: home advantage, travel and squad availability during international windows decide more African qualifiers than ranking does.
Where can I watch Mali vs Rwanda?
Broadcasters listed for both countries are shown above, each labelled with the edition it is confirmed for. Rights to the 2027 finals are still almost entirely unsold, so a channel marked for the qualifiers or for 2025 tells you nothing about 2027. We label rather than assume.