Mali Ol. vs Israel Ol. prediction: WORLD: Olympic Games betting tips on match 2024-07-23 19:00.
[p]Mali has had some form of representation at the Summer Olympics for every set of games since 1964 (barring 1976 Montreal due to an African boycott), however, they have yet to enjoy any podium triumph. That would make any success for their Under-23 football team monumental in Paris, especially as their only prior football participation in the 2004 Olympics saw them falter in the quarter-finals. The Eagles did at least top their group in that edition, and a repeat could perhaps ignite hope of pulling off something special. [/p]
[p]A third-place finish at the 2023 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations booked Mali’s ticket to the Olympics, and during that, they lost only once during regular time (W2, D2), with penalties deciding both their semi-final exit and the third-place match, so confidence should at least be high that Alou Badra Diallo’s men could prove a tough side to beat.[/p]
[p]It’s a debut of sorts for Israel, whose previous two Olympic appearances have been before 1976 and they have been absent since the age limit for the competition was set to predominantly Under-23s in 1992. They did reach the quarter-finals on both of those occasions (1968 & 1976) though, so there’s a little bit of history that could inspire them. Israel’s participation in this Olympics was confirmed after reaching the 2023 European Under-21 Championship semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions England.[/p]
[p]Coach Guy Luzon, who boasts coaching experience in England with Charlton Athletic, understands the enormity of the occasion and has laid down the gauntlet, stating publicly he wants his side to be “real contenders”, rather than just making up the numbers. Having also grabbed a historic third-place finish at the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup with most of the same team, Israel could have a familiarity advantage over many of the opponents they’ll face. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ midfielder Boubacar Traoré has been in fine form for Mali, netting in his last two appearances for the Under-23 side. Any response from Israel could be spearheaded by RB Salzburg’s Oscar Gloukh who secured eight assists in his last six league matches of the previous campaign. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Mali’s Under-23s have lost only one of their last nine matches during regular time (W5, D3).[/p]