Japan Ol. vs Mali Ol. prediction: WORLD: Olympic Games betting tips on match 2024-07-26 19:00.
[p]Shunsuke Mito and Shota Fujio each starred with braces in the opening round of 2024 Olympic action as Japan got their campaign off to a flyer with a 5-0 thrashing of Paraguay. Japanese captain Joel Fujita hailed the opening game as āthe most important match in the tournament,ā and whilst that may have been true a few days ago, the most important thing now is winning here in order to secure progression with a game to spare in order to rest some of their star players.[/p]
[p]Appearing at the tournament for a record eighth consecutive time, recent U23 Asian Cup winners Japan are seeking to set a new Olympic national record by bettering the heroic Mexico 1968 bronze medal finish. Whilst theyāve never quite hit the heady heights of ā68 since, Japan have shown promise by taking two of their last three Olympic tournaments to the third-place play-off, albeit eventually losing both times to Mexico and South Korea.[/p]
[p]Things werenāt quite so simple for Mali on the opening matchday, who had to come from behind in order to salvage a point against Israel. That result keeps them well in contention for progression still, although losing this game could prove a crushing blow to their dreams of a podium finish. Some may argue that those dreams are fanciful in what is only Maliās second appearance in Olympic football since reaching the quarter finals at Greece 2004.Ā [/p]
[p]Nine African nations have participated in Olympic football during Maliās 20-year absence, although their hopes of picking up a medal are not unfounded after proving their worth by picking up the bronze in the 2023 African Cup to book their place here. Despite playing on an entirely different continent to their own nation, Mali have no fewer than 12 players in the squad plying their trade in European leagues, with four of those players featuring right here in France no less. Ā [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Rihito Yamamoto managed to find the net to cap off a strong start for Japan and is one of a three-player contingent from Belgian side Sint-Truidense, along with captain and Asian Cup MVP, Fujita. Growing up in a nearby Parisian suburb, Mali and Napoliās Coli Saco boldly stated that his aim is to āmake a real impactā at these games, mentioning the likes of Usain Bolt and Neymar amongst his inspirations.Ā [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Six of the seven goals scored across these nationsā opening games came after half-time.Ā [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]