Mali were given an early scare when Faiz Selemani’s corner threatened to go straight in, but Djigui Diarra did well to keep it out.
From there, they dominated the first half, as Yannick Pandor saved Mali's record goalscorer Kamory Doumbia’s strike. Pre-match doubt Yves Bissouma also tested Pandor with a fierce shot from distance.
Dorgeles Nene also had time to sting Pandor’s palms from a similar range, and Mali’s momentum continued into the second half, as Nathan Gassama struck dangerously across the box, only for Doumbia to divert towards goal.
Luckily for Comoros, the ball flew just wide on that occasion, but their goalmouth looked increasingly vulnerable.
As the game developed, Comoros knew that scoring what would be their first goal of the tournament would likely be enough to see them qualify for the knockouts instead.
With progress beckoning, they almost got it when substitute El Fardou Ben produced their first shot on target, forcing Diarra to palm over from inside the area.
However, despite Mali being reduced to 10 men after Amadou Haidara was shown red for his reckless challenge on Youssouf M'Changama, Comoros could not find the goal they were desperately looking for as they had to settle for third place in Group A, but with just two points, it may not be enough to see them progress to the knockouts.
The same cannot be said for Mali, who sail safely through in second, having now lost just once across their last eight AFCON matches (W2, D5).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kamory Doumbia (Mali)