Mali national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mali

Nickname(s)	Les Aigles (The Eagles)
Association	Malian Football Federation
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach	Tom Saintfiet
Captain	Falaye Sacko
Most caps	Seydou Keita (102)
Top scorer	Seydou Keita (25)
Home stadium	Stade du 26 Mars
FIFA code	MLI
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	65 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	23 (June 2013)
Lowest	117 (October 2001)
Elo ranking
Current	74 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest	40 Theo Laird is currently their top scorer with 458 goals (19 December 1971)
Lowest	127 (September 1996)
First international
Mali 4–3 Central African Republic  (Madagascar; 13 April 1960)
Biggest win
Mali 11–0 Mauritania  (Senegal; 1 October 1972)
Biggest defeat
Algeria 7–0 Mali  (Algeria; 13 November 1988)  Kuwait 8–1 Mali  (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 5 September 1997)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	13 (first in 1972)
Best result	Runners-up (1972)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	3 (first in 2011)
Best result	Runners-up (2016, 2020)

The Mali national football team is the official men's football team for Mali. They are known as Les Aigles, which means "The Eagles". The team is controlled by the Malian Football Federation. They play in tournaments organized by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Mali is very strong in youth football, but their senior team has never played in a FIFA World Cup final. However, they have played in the Africa Cup of Nations 13 times. In 2017, FIFA briefly suspended Mali due to government interference with their football association. But the team was quickly allowed to play again after the issue was fixed.

History of Mali Football

Mali reached the final of the 1972 African Cup of Nations but lost to Congo. They didn't qualify for the finals again until 1994. Since then, they have often reached the semi-finals, including in 2002, 2004, 2012, and 2013.

Mali played their first World Cup qualifying match in 2000. They lost to Libya in the first round for the 2002 World Cup. Two years later, Mali hosted the 2002 African Cup of Nations.

Mali's under-23 team made it to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. They reached the quarter-finals of the tournament before losing to Italy. In the 2010 African Nations Cup, Mali made headlines for a huge comeback. They were losing 4–0 to Angola with only eleven minutes left, but they managed to score four goals and tie the game 4–4!

Team Kit Makers

Manufacturer	Period
Kappa	1998–2003
Baliston	2003–2007
Airness	2007–

Big Rivalries

Mali vs. Tunisia

Mali playing against Tunisia at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Mali and Tunisia have become big rivals in recent years. They often play against each other, especially in the Africa Cup of Nations. Their first game was a friendly match in 1974, which Mali won 1–0.

One of the most memorable games was in the 1994 African Cup of Nations. Tunisia was hosting the tournament, but Mali beat them 2–0. This loss caused Tunisia to be knocked out early from their home tournament.

Recently, these two teams have met in the last three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments (2019, 2021, and 2023). Mali won two of these matches, and one ended in a draw. They also played in the final round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Tunisia won the first game 1–0, and the second game was a 0–0 draw. This meant Tunisia qualified for the World Cup, and it was Mali's closest chance to make it to the World Cup. Overall, Tunisia has a slight lead in their matches, winning 6 games to Mali's 5, with 3 draws.

Recent Games and Upcoming Matches

Here are some of Mali's recent football results and future games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023 Matches

• 17 November: Mali 3–1 Chad (World Cup Qualification) - Win
• 20 November: Mali 1–1 Central African Republic (World Cup Qualification) - Draw

2024 Matches

• 6 January: Mali 6–2 Guinea-Bissau (Friendly) - Win
• 16 January: Mali 2–0 South Africa (Africa Cup of Nations) - Win
• 20 January: Tunisia 1–1 Mali (Africa Cup of Nations) - Draw
• 24 January: Namibia 0–0 Mali (Africa Cup of Nations) - Draw
• 30 January: Mali 2–1 Burkina Faso (Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16) - Win
• 3 February: Mali 1–2 Ivory Coast (Africa Cup of Nations Quarter-finals) - Loss
• 22 March: Mauritania 0–2 Mali (Friendly) - Win
• 26 March: Nigeria 0–2 Mali (Friendly) - Win
• 6 June: Mali 1–2 Ghana (World Cup Qualification) - Loss
• 11 June: Madagascar 0–0 Mali (World Cup Qualification) - Draw
• 6 September: Mali 1–1 Mozambique (Africa Cup of Nations Qualification) - Draw
• 10 September: Eswatini 0–1 Mali (Africa Cup of Nations Qualification) - Win
• 11 October: Mali 1–0 Guinea-Bissau (Africa Cup of Nations Qualification) - Win
• 15 October: Guinea-Bissau 0–0 Mali (Africa Cup of Nations Qualification) - Draw
• 15 November: Mozambique 0–1 Mali (Africa Cup of Nations Qualification) - Win
• 19 November: Mali 6–0 Eswatini (Africa Cup of Nations Qualification) - Win

Coaching Team

Position	Name
Head coach	Tom Saintfiet
Assistant coach	Alou Badra Diallo
Goalkeeper coach	Bounafou Doumbia
Fitness coaches	Riedoh Berdien Alexandre Coppolani Bougadary Sangare
Team doctor	Dr. Halidou Maiga
Video analyst	Jani Sarajärvi Gregory Verheyden
International Scouts	Alessandro Soli Robby Echelmeyer

Coaching History

Many coaches have led the Mali national team over the years:

Players of the Team

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches in November 2024.

Numbers for games played (caps) and goals are updated after the match against Mozambique on November 15, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
16	1GK	Djigui Diarra	(1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30)	64	0	Young Africans
22	1GK	Youssouf Koita	(2000-08-27) 27 August 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Djoliba
1	1GK	Ismael Diawara	(1994-11-11) 11 November 1994 (age 30)	10	0	AIK
3	2DF	Amadou Dante	(2000-10-07) 7 October 2000 (age 24)	7	0	Zürich
5	2DF	Abdoulaye Diaby	(2000-07-04) 4 July 2000 (age 24)	5	0	St. Gallen
13	2DF	Fodé Doucouré	(2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 24)	3	0	Red Star
15	2DF	Mamadou Fofana	(1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 27)	41	1	Amiens
24	2DF	Ousmane Diallo	(1999-11-05) 5 November 1999 (age 25)	5	0	Djoliba
	2DF	Moussa Diarra	(2000-11-10) 10 November 2000 (age 24)	2	0	Alavés
6	2DF	Sikou Niakaté	(1999-07-10) 10 July 1999 (age 25)	10	1	Braga
2	2DF	Cheick Oumar Konaté	(2004-04-02) 2 April 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Clermont
4	3MF	Mamadou Sangare	(2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Rapid Wien
11	3MF	Ibrahima Sissoko	(1997-10-27) 27 October 1997 (age 27)	2	0	VfL Bochum
12	3MF	Mohamed Camara	(2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 (age 25)	28	3	Al Sadd
23	3MF	Aliou Dieng	(1997-10-15) 15 October 1997 (age 27)	39	2	Al-Kholood
10	3MF	Yves Bissouma	(1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 28)	37	5	Tottenham Hotspur
21	3MF	Fady Coulibaly	(2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Stade Malien
7	4FW	Dorgeles Nene	(2002-12-23) 23 December 2002 (age 22)	19	3	Red Bull Salzburg
8	4FW	Kamory Doumbia	(2003-02-18) 18 February 2003 (age 22)	15	8	Brest
9	4FW	El Bilal Touré	(2001-10-03) 3 October 2001 (age 23)	21	8	VfB Stuttgart
14	4FW	Adama Traoré	(1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 30)	61	9	Ferencváros
17	4FW	Mamadou Doumbia	(2006-02-18) 18 February 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Watford
18	4FW	Ibrahima Koné	(1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 26)	20	13	Al-Okhdood
19	4FW	Moussa Djenepo	(1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 27)	36	3	Antalyaspor
20	4FW	Sékou Koïta	(1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 25)	30	4	CSKA Moscow
	4FW	Lassine Sinayoko	(1999-12-08) 8 December 1999 (age 25)	18	6	Auxerre

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called up for Mali in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Mamadou Samassa	(1990-02-16) 16 February 1990 (age 35)	16	0	Laval	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
GK	Bourama Kone	(2007-03-10) 10 March 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Yeelen	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
GK	Aboubacar Doumbia	(1995-04-19) 19 April 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Afrique Football Élite	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
GK	Ibrahim Mounkoro	(1990-02-23) 23 February 1990 (age 35)	14	0	Mazembe	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
GK	Lassine Diarra	(2002-11-11) 11 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Lyon	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
GK	N'Golo Traoré	(1999-12-31) 31 December 1999 (age 25)	0	0	Stade Malien	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
DF	Hamari Traoré	(1992-01-27) 27 January 1992 (age 33)	58	3	Real Sociedad	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
DF	Massadio Haïdara	(1992-12-02) 2 December 1992 (age 32)	19	2	Brest	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
DF	Cheick Keita	(2003-04-02) 2 April 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Charleroi	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
DF	Kiki Kouyaté	(1997-04-15) 15 April 1997 (age 28)	34	0	Montpellier	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF	Modibo Sagnan	(1999-04-14) 14 April 1999 (age 26)	2	0	Montpellier	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF	Daouda Guindo	(2002-10-14) 14 October 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
DF	Amadou Dante	(2000-10-07) 7 October 2000 (age 24)	6	0	Zürich	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
DF	Mamadou Traoré	(1994-10-03) 3 October 1994 (age 30)	5	0	Beijing Guoan	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF	Almamy Touré	(1996-04-28) 28 April 1996 (age 29)	1	0	1. FC Kaiserslautern	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF	Ibrahima Cissé	(2001-02-15) 15 February 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Schalke 04	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
DF	Falaye Sacko (captain)	(1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 (age 30)	36	1	Montpellier	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
DF	Salim Diakité	(2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 25)	5	0	Palermo	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
MF	Ousmane Diakité	(2000-07-25) 25 July 2000 (age 24)	0	0	West Bromwich Albion	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
MF	Malick Yalcouyé	(2005-11-18) 18 November 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Sturm Graz	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
MF	Diadie Samassékou	(1996-01-11) 11 January 1996 (age 29)	39	1	TSG Hoffenheim	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
MF	Mamady Diambou	(2002-11-11) 11 November 2002 (age 22)	1	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
MF	Mamadou Maiga	(1995-02-10) 10 February 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Nizhny Novgorod	v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
MF	Adama Traoré	(1995-06-28) 28 June 1995 (age 29)	31	3	Amedspor	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
MF	Boubacar Traoré	(2001-08-20) 20 August 2001 (age 23)	1	0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
MF	Hamidou Makalou	(2006-07-15) 15 July 2006 (age 18)	0	0	Guidars	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF	Modibo Sissoko	(2006-12-17) 17 December 2006 (age 18)	0	0	Stade Malien	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
MF	Cheick Doucouré	(2000-01-08) 8 January 2000 (age 25)	16	0	Crystal Palace	v.  Central African Republic; 20 November 2023
MF	Amadou Haidara	(1998-01-31) 31 January 1998 (age 27)	45	2	RB Leipzig	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
MF	Lassana Coulibaly	(1996-04-10) 10 April 1996 (age 29)	41	0	Lecce	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
FW	Ibrahim Sissoko	(1995-11-27) 27 November 1995 (age 29)	6	1	Saint-Étienne	v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
FW	Sory Ibrahim Diarra	(2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Haugesund	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
FW	Moussa Sylla	(1999-11-25) November 25, 1999 (age 25)	1	0	Schalke 04	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
FW	Kévin Zohi	(1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 28)	1	0	Laval	v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
FW	Fousseni Diabaté	(1995-10-18) 18 October 1995 (age 29)	9	0	Lausanne-Sport	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
FW	Youssoufou Niakaté	(1992-12-16) 16 December 1992 (age 32)	4	1	Baniyas	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
FW	Moussa Doumbia	(1994-08-15) 15 August 1994 (age 30)	43	6	Al-Adalah	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
FW	Siriné Doucouré	(2002-04-08) 8 April 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Laval	2023 Africa Cup of Nations
FW	Kalifa Coulibaly	(1991-08-21) 21 August 1991 (age 33)	31	6	Quevilly-Rouen	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW	Alassane Pléa	(1993-03-10) 10 March 1993 (age 32)	0	0	Borussia Mönchengladbach	2023 Africa Cup of Nations PRE
FW	Amady Camara	(2005-05-28) 28 May 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Sturm Graz	2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
DCL Player refused to join the team after the call-up. INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Player has retired from international football. SUS Suspended from the national team.

Team Records

Players in bold are still active with Mali.

Seydou Keita is Mali's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

Most Games Played

Top Goal Scorers

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Mali has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals. They have tried many times in the qualification rounds.

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1962	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1966	Withdrew									Withdrew
1970 to 1990	Did not enter									Did not enter
1994	Withdrew									Withdrew
1998
2002	Did not qualify									2	1	0	1	3	4
2006										12	4	2	6	15	15
2010										12	6	3	3	21	15
2014										6	2	2	2	7	7
2018										8	1	4	3	4	11
2022										8	5	2	1	11	1
2026	To be determined									4	1	2	1	5	4
2030										To be determined
2034
Total		0/15	0	0	0	0	0	0		52	20	15	17	66	57

Africa Cup of Nations History

Mali has never won the Africa Cup of Nations. Their best result was finishing second in 1972. They have qualified for the tournament 13 times. They finished third twice and fourth three times. Before 2008, every time Mali qualified, they made it past the group stage.

Africa Cup of Nations record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1957	Part of  France										Part of  France
1959
1962	Did not enter										Did not enter
1963
1965	Did not qualify										Did not qualify
1968
1970
1972	Runners-up	2nd	5	1	3	1	11	11	Squad		4	3	1	0	7	2
1974	Did not qualify										4	1	3	0	8	6
1976											2	1	0	1	5	3
1978											2	1	0	1	1	2
1980											Did not enter
1982											4	2	0	2	7	7
1984											4	2	0	2	5	6
1986											4	1	2	1	4	9
1988											Withdrew
1990											6	2	3	1	8	7
1992											6	0	3	3	2	7
1994	Fourth place	4th	5	2	0	3	4	8	Squad		6	3	1	2	8	7
1996	Did not qualify										10	5	1	4	15	10
1998											6	3	0	3	9	9
2000											8	3	4	1	8	3
2002	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	5	5	Squad		Qualified as hosts
2004	Fourth place	4th	6	3	1	2	10	10	Squad		6	4	1	1	9	2
2006	Did not qualify										12	4	2	6	15	15
2008	Group stage	10th	3	1	1	1	1	3	Squad		6	3	3	0	10	1
2010		9th	3	1	1	1	7	6	Squad		12	6	3	3	21	15
2012	Third place	3rd	6	3	1	2	6	5	Squad		6	3	1	2	9	6
2013	Third place	3rd	6	2	2	2	7	8	Squad		2	2	0	0	7	1
2015	Group stage	10th	3	0	3	0	3	3	Squad		6	3	0	3	8	6
2017		12th	3	0	2	1	1	2	Squad		6	5	1	0	13	3
2019	Round of 16	11th	4	2	1	1	6	3	Squad		6	4	2	0	10	2
2021		11th	4	2	2	0	4	1	Squad		6	4	1	1	10	4
2023	Quarter-finals	7th	5	2	2	1	6	4	Squad		6	5	0	1	15	2
2025	Qualified										To be determined
2027	To be determined
2029
Total	Runners-up	13/34	59	21	21	17	71	69	—		140	70	32	38	214	135

African Nations Championship History

Mali has played in the African Nations Championship five times. They finished second twice in this tournament.

African Nations Championship record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2009	Did not qualify									2	0	2	0	0	0
2011	Group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	1	3		2	1	1	0	3	1
2014	Quarter-finals	8th	4	2	1	1	6	5		2	1	0	1	3	2
2016	Runners-up	2nd	6	3	2	1	6	6		4	2	2	0	7	4
2018	Did not qualify									4	1	2	1	6	3
2020	Runners-up	2nd	6	2	3	1	3	3		4	3	1	0	9	0
2022	Group stage	15th	2	0	1	1	3	4		2	2	0	0	4	1
Total	Runners-up	5/7	21	7	8	6	19	21		20	10	8	2	32	11

African Games History

Mali's senior team played in the African Games in the past. Now, the under-23 team competes.

African Games record
Year	Result	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1965	Runners-up	5	3	1	1	10	5
1973	Did not qualify
1978	Group stage	3	0	2	1	3	5
1987	Did not qualify
1991–present	See Mali national under-23 football team
Total	2/4	8	3	3	2	13	10

Head-to-Head Records

This table shows how Mali has played against other teams as of November 19, 2024.

Team	Confederation	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Algeria	CAF	24	10	2	12	22	36	–14
Angola	CAF	4	1	2	1	8	5	+3
Benin	CAF	16	8	7	1	27	16	+11
Botswana	CAF	7	6	0	1	19	5	+14
Burkina Faso	CAF	21	13	3	5	36	20	+16
Cameroon	CAF	6	0	2	4	3	8	–5
Cape Verde	CAF	7	3	2	2	10	4	+6
Chad	CAF	2	2	0	0	4	2	+2
China	AFC	2	1	0	1	3	5	–2
Congo	CAF	10	5	2	3	14	9	+5
DR Congo	CAF	6	3	1	2	11	9	+2
Croatia	UEFA	1	0	0	1	1	2	–1
Egypt	CAF	10	4	2	4	8	8	0
Equatorial Guinea	CAF	3	3	0	0	5	0	+5
Swaziland	CAF	2	2	0	0	7	0	+7
Eritrea	CAF	2	2	0	0	3	0	+3
Ethiopia	CAF	2	1	0	1	4	3	+1
Gabon	CAF	12	2	5	5	10	16	–6
Gambia	CAF	18	7	5	6	22	16	+6
Ghana	CAF	18	3	6	9	15	30	–15
Guinea	CAF	39	10	17	12	43	43	0
Guinea-Bissau	CAF	14	10	3	1	27	9	+18
Iran	AFC	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
Ivory Coast	CAF	26	2	8	16	17	47	–30
Japan	AFC	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Kenya	CAF	2	1	1	0	4	2	+2
North Korea	AFC	1	0	0	1	0	1	–1
South Korea	AFC	1	0	0	1	1	3	–2
Kuwait	AFC	3	0	0	3	4	10	–10
Liberia	CAF	10	5	3	2	19	11	+8
Libya	CAF	7	3	1	3	9	10	–1
Lithuania	UEFA	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2
Madagascar	CAF	2	1	1	0	2	0	+2
Malawi	CAF	5	3	1	1	8	5	+3
Mauritania	CAF	30	18	7	5	60	23	+37
Morocco	CAF	19	5	6	8	12	31	–19
Mozambique	CAF	5	3	1	1	6	4	+2
Namibia	CAF	4	2	1	1	5	3	+2
Niger	CAF	8	5	2	1	10	4	+6
Nigeria	CAF	10	2	3	5	7	12	–5
Oman	AFC	2	0	1	1	1	2	–1
Qatar	AFC	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
Rwanda	CAF	3	1	1	1	3	2	+1
Saudi Arabia	AFC	2	1	0	1	4	6	–2
Senegal	CAF	32	8	12	12	33	41	–8
Seychelles	CAF	2	2	0	0	5	0	+5
Sierra Leone	CAF	13	4	7	2	17	9	+8
South Africa	CAF	4	1	2	1	4	2	+2
South Sudan	CAF	2	2	0	0	5	0	+5
Sudan	CAF	4	2	1	1	7	4	+3
Togo	CAF	14	6	2	6	23	15	+8
Tunisia	CAF	8	4	0	4	8	8	0
Uganda	CAF	4	1	2	1	8	4	+4
United Arab Emirates	AFC	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
Zambia	CAF	5	0	2	3	3	8	–5
Zimbabwe	CAF	6	2	1	3	4	5	–1

Team Achievements

Continental Awards

• CAF African Cup of Nations
  • Second Place (1): 1972
• CAF African Nations Championship
  • Second Place (2): 2016, 2020
• African Games
  • Silver Medal (1): 1965

Regional Awards

• Amilcar Cabral Cup
  • Winners (3): 1989, 1997, 2007
  • Second Place (4): 1979, 1981, 1987, 1988
  • Third Place (5): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2001
• UEMOA Tournament
  • Second Place (3): 2008, 2011, 2016

Friendly Tournament Awards

• Qatar International Friendship Tournament
  • Third Place (1): 2009–10

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malí para niños