Match report
Mali edge Liberia thanks to late Tia strike
Mali secured a 1-0 win away to Liberia in matchday two of AFCON Qualifying Group Stage action, a result built on a single second-half goal that separated the sides at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
The first half finished goalless, with neither side able to find a breakthrough despite Mali's control of territory. The decisive moment arrived in the 79th minute when Ange Tia converted an assist from Kamory Doumbia to put the visitors ahead, a lead they would not relinquish as the match moved into its closing stages.
Mali dominated possession with 63 percent of the ball and were far busier in front of goal, registering 16 shots to Liberia's 8 and forcing three efforts on target compared to the home side's one. Liberia picked up two yellow cards to Mali's one, with Mali also winning the corner count 8 to 3, reflecting their territorial edge throughout.
Ange Tia scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute and finished with a rating of 7.77, the highest of any player on the pitch. Doumbia, who supplied the assist for the winner, was not far behind with a 7.57 rating.
Mali's 63 percent share of possession underlined their control of the contest from start to finish.
Mali won 1–0 away against Liberia (half-time 0–0).
Liberia met Mali in the AFCON Qualifying (Group Stage - 2). Kick-off was Tuesday, 29 September 2026, 19:00 UTC at Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex. Referee: Mohamed Diraneh Guedi.
Team pages: Liberia · Mali · AFCON Qualifying
Key moments
- 79' Goal: Ange Tia (assist: Kamory Doumbia) — 0–1
Starting line-ups
Liberia (3-5-2)
- 23 Ashley Williams
- 3 Emmanuel Fully
- 20 Mohammed Sangare
- 24 Sampson Dweh
- 17 Franklin Nyenetue
- 6 Salomon Tweh
- 4 Nohan Kenneh
- 19 Oscar Dorley
- 22 Edward Ledlum
- 10 Ayouba Kosiah
- 11 Sylvanus Nimely
Mali (4-2-3-1)
- 16 D. Diarra
- 15 Daouda Guindo
- 14 Nathan Gassama
- 25 Ousmane Camara
- 2 Hamari Traoré
- 23 Aliou Dieng
- 8 Mamadou Sangaré
- 7 Nene Dorgeles
- 10 Kamory Doumbia
- 12 Ange Tia
- 17 Lassine Sinayoko
About this match
On this page: the Liberia vs Mali final score and result, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this AFCON Qualifying fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
The full match report above covers the goals, key moments and stats. Explore more on the Liberia and Mali team pages or the AFCON Qualifying page.