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Mali national football team facts for kids

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Mali
Nickname(s) Les Aigles (The Eagles)
Association Malian Football Federation
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach Tom Saintfiet
Captain Hamari Traoré
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 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 23 (June 2013)
Lowest 117 (October 2001)
Elo ranking
Current 74 Increase 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 14 (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 also known as Les Aigles, which means "The Eagles" in French. This team represents the country of Mali in men's international football games. The Malian Football Federation manages the team. They play in tournaments organized by both FIFA (the world football body) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which is for African teams.

Mali is very strong in youth football, meaning their younger teams often do well in big tournaments. However, their senior team has never made it to the FIFA World Cup finals. They have played in the Africa Cup of Nations 14 times. In 2017, FIFA briefly suspended Mali's team because of government involvement with their football association. But the team was quickly allowed to play again after the issue was fixed.

Team History and Achievements

Mali's football team has a proud history, especially in African tournaments.

Early Success in African Football

Mali reached the final of the 1972 African Cup of Nations. They played against Congo but lost 3–2. After that, it took them a while to get back to the finals. They made it to the semi-finals in 1994. They repeated this great achievement in 2002, 2004, 2012, and 2013.

World Cup Qualifiers and Olympic Games

Mali first played in a World Cup qualifier in 2000 for the 2002 World Cup. They lost in the first round to Libya. Two years later, Mali hosted the 2002 African Cup of Nations tournament in their own country.

Mali's under-23 team had a big moment when they qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. Coached by Cheick Kone, the team made it to the quarter-finals of the Olympic tournament. They were eventually knocked out by Italy.

In the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup, Mali won against Guinea-Bissau. However, they finished fifth in their group in the next round and did not qualify.

Memorable Matches

At the 2010 African Nations Cup, Mali made headlines for an incredible comeback. They were losing 4–0 to Angola with only eleven minutes left to play. But they managed to score four goals and tie the game 4–4!

Team Kit

The Mali national football team has had different kit manufacturers over the years.

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

Team Rivalries

Football rivalries are when two teams have a strong competition, often because they play each other a lot or have had important matches.

Mali vs. Tunisia Matches

Confrontation Mali - Tunisie
Mali v Tunisia at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

The rivalry between Mali and Tunisia has grown strong in recent years. They often play against each other, especially in the Africa Cup of Nations. Their first match was a friendly game in 1974, which Mali won 1–0.

A big moment in their rivalry was at the 1994 African Cup of Nations, hosted by Tunisia. Mali won that match 2–0, which meant Tunisia was knocked out of the tournament early, even though they were the hosts.

More recently, Mali and Tunisia have met in the group stage of 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 each other in the final round of qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Tunisia won the first game 1–0 in Mali, 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 finals. Overall, Tunisia has a slight lead in their head-to-head record.

Coaching Staff

The coaching staff helps the team prepare and perform their best.

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

Coaching History

Many coaches have led the Mali national football team over the years.

  • Mali Ben Oumar Sy (1960–66)
  • Hungary György Tóth (1966–70)
  • West Germany Karl-Heinz Weigang (1970–73)
  • Soviet Union Mykola Holovko (1979–82)
  • Mali Kidian Diallo (1982–89)
  • Mali Molobaly Sissoko (1989–93)
  • Mali Mamadou Keïta (1993–97)
  • France Christian Sarramagna (1998–2000)
  • Italy Romano Mattè (2000–01)
  • Poland Henryk Kasperczak (2001–02)
  • France Christian Dalger (2002–03)
  • France Henri Stambouli (2003–04)
  • France Alain Moizan (2004)
  • Mali Mamadou Keïta (2004–05)
  • France Pierre Lechantre (2005–06)
  • Mali Amadou Pathé Diallo (2006)
  • France Jean-François Jodar (2006–08)
  • Nigeria Stephen Keshi (2008–10)
  • France Alain Giresse (2010–12)
  • Mali Amadou Pathé Diallo (2012)
  • France Patrice Carteron (2012–13)
  • Mali Amadou Pathé Diallo (2013)
  • Poland Henryk Kasperczak (2013–15)
  • France Alain Giresse (2015–17)
  • Mali Mohamed Magassouba (2017–2022)
  • Mali Éric Chelle (2022–2024)
  • Belgium Tom Saintfiet (2024–present)

Team Players

Here are some of the players who have been called up to play for Mali.

Current Squad Members

These players were chosen for the friendly match against DR Congo on June 5, 2025.
Caps and goals were updated after the match against DR Congo on June 5, 2025.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Ismael Diawara (1994-11-11) 11 November 1994 (age 30) 10 0 Sweden Sirius
16 1GK Djigui Diarra (1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30) 69 0 Tanzania Young Africans
1GK Lassine Diarra (2002-11-11) 11 November 2002 (age 22) 0 0 France Lyon

3 2DF Amadou Dante (2000-10-07) 7 October 2000 (age 24) 13 0 Portugal Arouca
6 2DF Sikou Niakaté (1999-07-10) 10 July 1999 (age 26) 15 0 Portugal Braga
15 2DF Cheick Keita (1996-04-16) 16 April 1996 (age 29) 1 0 Italy L'Aquila
21 2DF Salim Diakité (2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 25) 7 0 Italy Palermo
25 2DF Woyo Coulibaly (1999-05-26) 26 May 1999 (age 26) 1 0 England Leicester City
2DF Fodé Doucouré (2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 24) 5 0 France Red Star
2DF Issiar Dramé (1999-02-16) 16 February 1999 (age 26) 0 0 Portugal Estrela Amadora

8 3MF Mahamadou Doumbia (2004-05-15) 15 May 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Belgium Antwerp
10 3MF Yves Bissouma (1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 28) 43 5 England Tottenham Hotspur
11 3MF Lassana Coulibaly (1996-04-10) 10 April 1996 (age 29) 46 0 Italy Lecce
23 3MF Aliou Dieng (1997-10-15) 15 October 1997 (age 27) 44 2 Egypt Al Ahly
26 3MF Kamory Doumbia (2003-02-18) 18 February 2003 (age 22) 24 11 France Brest
3MF Kalidou Sidibé (1999-01-28) 28 January 1999 (age 26) 0 0 France Guingamp
3MF Moussa Diakité (2003-11-04) 4 November 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Spain Cádiz

7 4FW Lassine Sinayoko (1999-12-08) 8 December 1999 (age 25) 22 6 France Auxerre
17 4FW Mamadou Camara (2001-02-07) 7 February 2001 (age 24) 2 0 France Laval
18 4FW Mustapha Sangaré (1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 26) 2 0 Bulgaria Levski Sofia
4FW Moussa Sylla (1999-11-25) November 25, 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Germany Schalke 04
4FW Mamadou Doumbia (2006-02-18) 18 February 2006 (age 19) 3 1 England Watford
4FW Gaoussou Diarra (2002-11-21) 21 November 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Netherlands Feyenoord

Recent Call-Ups

These players have also been called up for Mali in the last 12 months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK N'Golo Traoré (1999-12-31) 31 December 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Mali Stade Malien v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
GK Mamadou Samassa (1990-02-16) 16 February 1990 (age 35) 16 0 France Laval v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
GK Youssouf Koita (2000-08-27) 27 August 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Mali Djoliba 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
GK Bourama Kone (2007-03-10) 10 March 2007 (age 18) 0 0 Mali Yeelen v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024

DF Ousmane Diallo (1999-11-05) 5 November 1999 (age 25) 7 0 Mali Djoliba v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
DF Ibrahima Cissé (2001-02-15) 15 February 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Germany Schalke 04 v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
DF Hamari Traoré (1992-01-27) 27 January 1992 (age 33) 58 3 Spain Real Sociedad v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
DF Massadio Haïdara (1992-12-02) 2 December 1992 (age 32) 19 2 France Brest v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
DF Cheick Keita (2003-04-02) 2 April 2003 (age 22) 0 0 Belgium Charleroi v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
DF Boubakar Kouyaté (1997-04-15) 15 April 1997 (age 28) 35 0 France Montpellier v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF Daouda Guindo (2002-10-14) 14 October 2002 (age 22) 5 0 Austria Red Bull Salzburg v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF Modibo Sagnan (1999-04-14) 14 April 1999 (age 26) 4 1 France Montpellier v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF Falaye Sacko (captain) (1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 (age 30) 41 1 France Montpellier v.  Ghana; 6 June 2024
DF Mamadou Fofana (1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 27) 44 1 United States New England Revolution 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
DF Moussa Diarra (2000-11-10) 10 November 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Spain Alavés 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
DF Cheick Oumar Konaté (2004-04-02) 2 April 2004 (age 21) 2 0 France Clermont 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
DF Abdoulaye Diaby (2000-07-04) 4 July 2000 (age 25) 8 0 Switzerland St. Gallen 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

MF Fady Sidiki Coulibaly (2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 23) 5 0 Sudan Al-Merrikh v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
MF Amadou Haidara (1998-01-31) 31 January 1998 (age 27) 45 2 Germany RB Leipzig v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
MF Ousmane Diakité (2000-07-25) 25 July 2000 (age 24) 0 0 England West Bromwich Albion v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
MF Malick Yalcouyé (2005-11-18) 18 November 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Austria Sturm Graz v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
MF Diadie Samassékou (1996-01-11) 11 January 1996 (age 29) 41 1 Germany TSG Hoffenheim v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
MF Mamady Diambou (2002-11-11) 11 November 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Austria Red Bull Salzburg v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
MF Mamadou Maiga (1995-02-10) 10 February 1995 (age 30) 0 0 Russia Pari Nizhny Novgorod v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
MF Ibrahima Sissoko (1997-10-27) 27 October 1997 (age 27) 1 0 Germany VfL Bochum 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
MF Mamadou Sangaré (2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 23) 6 0 Austria Rapid Wien 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
MF Mohamed Camara (2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 (age 25) 32 3 Qatar Al-Sadd 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

FW Adama Traoré (1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 30) 61 9 Hungary Ferencváros v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
FW Moussa Djenepo (1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 27) 36 3 Turkey Antalyaspor v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
FW Amady Camara (2005-05-28) 28 May 2005 (age 20) 2 0 Austria Sturm Graz v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
FW Sory Ibrahim Diarra (2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Norway Haugesund v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
FW Kévin Zohi (1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 28) 1 0 France Laval v.  Eswatini; 10 September 2024
FW Fousseni Diabaté (1995-10-18) 18 October 1995 (age 29) 11 0 Switzerland Lausanne-Sport v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
FW Ibrahim Sissoko (1995-11-27) 27 November 1995 (age 29) 9 1 France Saint-Étienne v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
FW Dorgeles Nene (2002-12-23) 23 December 2002 (age 22) 23 7 Austria Red Bull Salzburg 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW Sékou Koïta (1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 25) 35 4 Russia CSKA Moscow 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW El Bilal Touré (2001-10-03) 3 October 2001 (age 23) 25 9 Germany VfB Stuttgart 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW Youssoufou Niakaté (1992-12-16) 16 December 1992 (age 32) 7 1 United Arab Emirates Baniyas 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW Ibrahima Koné (1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 26) 22 13 Saudi Arabia Al-Okhdood 2026 FIFA World Cup 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

These tables show the players with the most games played and the most goals scored for Mali.

Players in bold are still active with Mali.
Keita August 2008 Joan Gamper Trophy
Seydou Keita is Mali's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

Most Appearances for Mali

Most appearances
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Seydou Keita 102 25 1998–2015
2 Mahamadou Sidibé 97 0 1996–2010
3 Bassala Touré 95 17 1992–2008
4 Adama Tamboura 89 0 2004–2015
5 Adama Coulibaly 85 1 1998–2014
6 Soumaila Coulibaly 83 14 1995–2009
7 Mahamadou Diarra 73 7 1998–2012
8 Djigui Diarra 69 0 2015–present
9 Adama Traoré 61 9 2013–present
10 Hamari Traoré 59 3 2015–present

Top Goalscorers for Mali

Top goalscorers
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Seydou Keita 25 102 0.25 1998–2015
2 Frédéric Kanouté 23 39 0.77 2004–2010
3 Bassala Touré 17 95 0.18 1994–2008
4 Cheick Diabaté 15 38 0.39 2005–2016
5 Yaya Dissa 14 42 0.33 1995–2001
Soumaila Coulibaly 14 83 0.17 1995–2009
7 Ibrahima Koné 13 22 0.59 2017–present
8 Kamory Doumbia 12 23 0.52 2022–present
Modibo Maïga 12 58 0.21 2007–2016
10 Salif Keïta 11 26 0.42 1964–1972

Competition Records

Mali has competed in various international football tournaments.

FIFA World Cup Participation

Mali has never qualified for the main FIFA World Cup tournament.

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
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
1970 to 1990 Did not enter Did not enter
United States 1994 Withdrew Withdrew
France 1998
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 3 4
Germany 2006 12 4 2 6 15 15
South Africa 2010 12 6 3 3 21 15
Brazil 2014 6 2 2 2 7 7
Russia 2018 8 1 4 3 4 11
Qatar 2022 8 5 2 1 11 1
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 6 2 3 1 8 4
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/15 0 0 0 0 0 0 53 20 16 17 66 57

Africa Cup of Nations History

Mali has never won the Africa Cup of Nations. Their best finish was second place in 1972. They have qualified for the tournament 14 times. They finished third twice and fourth three times. Before 2008, every time Mali qualified, they reached the knockout stage.

Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  France Part of  France
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Did not enter Did not enter
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965 Did not qualify Did not qualify
Ethiopia 1968
Sudan 1970
Cameroon 1972 Runners-up 2nd 5 1 3 1 11 11 Squad 4 3 1 0 7 2
Egypt 1974 Did not qualify 4 1 3 0 8 6
Ethiopia 1976 2 1 0 1 5 3
Ghana 1978 2 1 0 1 1 2
Nigeria 1980 Did not enter
Libya 1982 4 2 0 2 7 7
Ivory Coast 1984 4 2 0 2 5 6
Egypt 1986 4 1 2 1 4 9
Morocco 1988 Withdrew
Algeria 1990 6 2 3 1 8 7
Senegal 1992 6 0 3 3 2 7
Tunisia 1994 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 4 8 Squad 6 3 1 2 8 7
South Africa 1996 Did not qualify 10 5 1 4 15 10
Burkina Faso 1998 6 3 0 3 9 9
Ghana Nigeria 2000 8 3 4 1 8 3
Mali 2002 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 5 5 Squad Qualified as hosts
Tunisia 2004 Fourth place 4th 6 3 1 2 10 10 Squad 6 4 1 1 9 2
Egypt 2006 Did not qualify 12 4 2 6 15 15
Ghana 2008 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 1 3 Squad 6 3 3 0 10 1
Angola 2010 9th 3 1 1 1 7 6 Squad 12 6 3 3 21 15
Gabon Equatorial Guinea 2012 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 6 5 Squad 6 3 1 2 9 6
South Africa 2013 Third place 3rd 6 2 2 2 7 8 Squad 2 2 0 0 7 1
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 10th 3 0 3 0 3 3 Squad 6 3 0 3 8 6
Gabon 2017 12th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad 6 5 1 0 13 3
Egypt 2019 Round of 16 11th 4 2 1 1 6 3 Squad 6 4 2 0 10 2
Cameroon 2021 11th 4 2 2 0 4 1 Squad 6 4 1 1 10 4
Ivory Coast 2023 Quarter-finals 7th 5 2 2 1 6 4 Squad 6 5 0 1 15 2
Morocco 2025 Qualified 6 4 2 0 10 1
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total Runners-up 14/35 59 21 21 17 71 69 146 74 34 38 224 136

African Nations Championship Results

Mali has played in five African Nations Championship tournaments. They finished second twice in this competition.

African Nations Championship record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Ivory Coast 2009 Did not qualify 2 0 2 0 0 0
Sudan 2011 Group stage 13th 3 0 1 2 1 3 2 1 1 0 3 1
South Africa 2014 Quarter-finals 8th 4 2 1 1 6 5 2 1 0 1 3 2
Rwanda 2016 Runners-up 2nd 6 3 2 1 6 6 4 2 2 0 7 4
Morocco 2018 Did not qualify 4 1 2 1 6 3
Cameroon 2020 Runners-up 2nd 6 2 3 1 3 3 4 3 1 0 9 0
Algeria 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 Football

The African Games is a multi-sport event. Mali's football team has participated in it.

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

Team Honours and Awards

Mali has won several awards and finished in top positions in different tournaments.

Continental Achievements

  • Africa Cup of Nations
    • Silver medal africa.svg Runners-up (1): 1972
    • Bronze medal africa.svg Third place (2): 2012, 2013
  • African Nations Championship
    • Silver medal africa.svg Runners-up (2): 2016, 2020
  • African Games1
    • Silver medal africa.svg Silver medal (1): 1965

Regional Tournament Wins

  • Amilcar Cabral Cup
    • 1 Champions (3): 1989, 1997, 2007
    • 2 Runners-up (4): 1979, 1981, 1987, 1988
    • 3 Third place (5): 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2001
  • UEMOA Tournament
    • 2 Runners-up (3): 2008, 2011, 2016

Friendly Tournament Success

  • Qatar International Friendship Tournament
    • 3 Third place (1): 2009–10
  1. Competition organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, officially not recognized by FIFA.

Summary of Senior Competitions

Senior Competitions 1 2 3 Total
CAF African Cup of Nations 0 1 2 3
CAF African Nations Championship 0 2 0 2
Total 0 3 2 5

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malí para niños

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