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Mali has opened the score by Diaby against Mauritania. June 24, 2019. REUTERS / Suhaib Salem

Jostled early in the match by Mauritania, Mali has relied on his experience and the talent of his circles to crush the Mourabitounes (4-1). The Eagles win the derby of West Africa and for the moment wins the card of the first day.

From our special envoy to Suez,

The apprenticeship is hard for Mauritania, which plays its first CAN, curtly beaten by Malians who suffered early in the game before putting the fatal throttle. There was in this team Mauritania this suspicion of naivety specific teams who discover for the first time a competition. The Mourabitounes may have wanted to bite into the teeth this first match. How else to interpret their beginning of the match drum, without complex and (too) full of envy? The men of Corentin Martins have not hesitated to get high Malians, to project quickly ahead, and to be in excess in their offensives. The initiative was appealing, but neophytes did not have the weapons to keep up.

It is also when they dropped their foot that Mali offered their first real opportunity with Marega missing his face-to-face with Brahim Souleymane (33) Less than five minutes later, Abdoulaye Diaby did not need anyone to open the score. The Sporting player Lisbon (Portugal) recovers a ball in the midfield, advances without being attacked and releases a superb shot that lodges in the left corner of Souleymane (37th).

Hacen El Id saves honor

Mauritania is struggling to recover and is cracking again. Coulibaly quickly took the middle of the Murabitounes before serving Moussa Marega. The shot of it is released by Souleymane forced to commit a foul and cause the penalty on Coulibaly. Marega transforms the sentence (44th).

Mauritania, KO, returns from the locker room with envy, but the Eagles are talking about their experience and again assault the Mourabitounes thanks to Adama Traore. One Traoré hides another and it is ... Adama Traoré (Malouga) who, after replacing Adama Traore (Noss), scored the 4th goal of the Eagles. Meanwhile, the men of Corentin Martins had reduced the score thanks to Hacen El Id who converted a penalty and scored the first goal of Mauritania at the CAN.

It is a small consolation for Mauritania punished for its baptism of fire. For Mali, the lights are green before crossing Tunisia Friday, June 28 in Suez.

► To read also: CAN 2019, Calendar, results and standings of the Africa Cup