Mali national football team facts for kids
Nickname(s) | Les Aigles (The Eagles) | |||
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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 | |||
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FIFA ranking | ||||
Current | 65 ![]() |
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Highest | 23 (June 2013) | |||
Lowest | 117 (October 2001) | |||
Elo ranking | ||||
Current | 74 ![]() |
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Highest | 40 Theo Laird is currently their top scorer with 458 goals (19 December 1971) | |||
Lowest | 127 (September 1996) | |||
First international | ||||
![]() ![]() (Madagascar; 13 April 1960) |
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Biggest win | ||||
![]() ![]() (Senegal; 1 October 1972) |
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Biggest defeat | ||||
![]() ![]() (Algeria; 13 November 1988) ![]() ![]() (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 5 September 1997) |
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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.
Contents
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 |
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1998–2003 |
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2003–2007 |
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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
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.
Coaching History
Many coaches have led the Mali national football team over the years.
Ben Oumar Sy (1960–66)
György Tóth (1966–70)
Karl-Heinz Weigang (1970–73)
Mykola Holovko (1979–82)
Kidian Diallo (1982–89)
Molobaly Sissoko (1989–93)
Mamadou Keïta (1993–97)
Christian Sarramagna (1998–2000)
Romano Mattè (2000–01)
Henryk Kasperczak (2001–02)
Christian Dalger (2002–03)
Henri Stambouli (2003–04)
Alain Moizan (2004)
Mamadou Keïta (2004–05)
Pierre Lechantre (2005–06)
Amadou Pathé Diallo (2006)
Jean-François Jodar (2006–08)
Stephen Keshi (2008–10)
Alain Giresse (2010–12)
Amadou Pathé Diallo (2012)
Patrice Carteron (2012–13)
Amadou Pathé Diallo (2013)
Henryk Kasperczak (2013–15)
Alain Giresse (2015–17)
Mohamed Magassouba (2017–2022)
Éric Chelle (2022–2024)
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 |
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1 | GK | Ismael Diawara | 11 November 1994 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | GK | Djigui Diarra | 27 February 1995 | 69 | 0 | ![]() |
GK | Lassine Diarra | 11 November 2002 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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3 | DF | Amadou Dante | 7 October 2000 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
6 | DF | Sikou Niakaté | 10 July 1999 | 15 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Cheick Keita | 16 April 1996 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | DF | Salim Diakité | 3 June 2000 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
25 | DF | Woyo Coulibaly | 26 May 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
DF | Fodé Doucouré | 3 February 2001 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
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DF | Issiar Dramé | 16 February 1999 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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8 | MF | Mahamadou Doumbia | 15 May 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
10 | MF | Yves Bissouma | 30 August 1996 | 43 | 5 | ![]() |
11 | MF | Lassana Coulibaly | 10 April 1996 | 46 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | MF | Aliou Dieng | 15 October 1997 | 44 | 2 | ![]() |
26 | MF | Kamory Doumbia | 18 February 2003 | 24 | 11 | ![]() |
MF | Kalidou Sidibé | 28 January 1999 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | Moussa Diakité | 4 November 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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7 | FW | Lassine Sinayoko | 8 December 1999 | 22 | 6 | ![]() |
17 | FW | Mamadou Camara | 7 February 2001 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | FW | Mustapha Sangaré | 24 December 1998 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
FW | Moussa Sylla | November 25, 1999 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
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FW | Mamadou Doumbia | 18 February 2006 | 3 | 1 | ![]() |
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FW | Gaoussou Diarra | 21 November 2002 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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 |
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GK | N'Golo Traoré | 31 December 1999 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Mamadou Samassa | 16 February 1990 | 16 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Youssouf Koita | 27 August 2000 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
GK | Bourama Kone | 10 March 2007 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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DF | Ousmane Diallo | 5 November 1999 | 7 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Ibrahima Cissé | 15 February 2001 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Hamari Traoré | 27 January 1992 | 58 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Massadio Haïdara | 2 December 1992 | 19 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Cheick Keita | 2 April 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Boubakar Kouyaté | 15 April 1997 | 35 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Daouda Guindo | 14 October 2002 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Modibo Sagnan | 14 April 1999 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Falaye Sacko (captain) | 1 May 1995 | 41 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Mamadou Fofana | 21 January 1998 | 44 | 1 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
DF | Moussa Diarra | 10 November 2000 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
DF | Cheick Oumar Konaté | 2 April 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
DF | Abdoulaye Diaby | 4 July 2000 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
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MF | Fady Sidiki Coulibaly | 27 January 2002 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Amadou Haidara | 31 January 1998 | 45 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Ousmane Diakité | 25 July 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Malick Yalcouyé | 18 November 2005 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Diadie Samassékou | 11 January 1996 | 41 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Mamady Diambou | 11 November 2002 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Mamadou Maiga | 10 February 1995 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Ibrahima Sissoko | 27 October 1997 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
MF | Mamadou Sangaré | 26 June 2002 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
MF | Mohamed Camara | 6 January 2000 | 32 | 3 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
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FW | Adama Traoré | 5 June 1995 | 61 | 9 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Moussa Djenepo | 15 June 1998 | 36 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Amady Camara | 28 May 2005 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Sory Ibrahim Diarra | 28 February 2000 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Kévin Zohi | 19 December 1996 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Fousseni Diabaté | 18 October 1995 | 11 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Ibrahim Sissoko | 27 November 1995 | 9 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Dorgeles Nene | 23 December 2002 | 23 | 7 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
FW | Sékou Koïta | 28 November 1999 | 35 | 4 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
FW | El Bilal Touré | 3 October 2001 | 25 | 9 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
FW | Youssoufou Niakaté | 16 December 1992 | 7 | 1 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
FW | Ibrahima Koné | 16 June 1999 | 22 | 13 | ![]() |
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
DCL Player refused to join the team after the call-up. |
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.
Most Appearances for Mali
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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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
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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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 | ||||||||||||||
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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 | |||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
1970 to 1990 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
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12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 15 | |||||||||
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12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | |||||||||
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6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
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8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | |||||||||
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8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | |||||||||
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To be determined | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | ||||||||
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To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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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 | |||||||||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
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Part of ![]() |
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Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | Did not qualify | ||||||||||||||
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Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 11 | Squad | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
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Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 6 | |||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | ||||||||||
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2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
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Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
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4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||
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4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
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4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | ||||||||||
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Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
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6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||||
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6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||
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Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | Squad | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | |
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Did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 10 | |||||||||
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6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 | ||||||||||
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8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 3 | ||||||||||
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Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
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Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | |
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Did not qualify | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 15 | |||||||||
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Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Squad | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
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9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | Squad | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | ||
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Third place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | Squad | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | |
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Third place | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | Squad | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
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Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | Squad | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | |
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12th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Squad | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | ||
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Round of 16 | 11th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
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11th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | Squad | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | ||
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Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Squad | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 2 | |
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Qualified | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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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 Games Football
The African Games is a multi-sport event. Mali's football team has participated in it.
Team Honours and Awards
Mali has won several awards and finished in top positions in different tournaments.
Continental Achievements
- Africa Cup of Nations
Runners-up (1): 1972
Third place (2): 2012, 2013
- African Nations Championship
- African Games1
Regional Tournament Wins
- Amilcar Cabral Cup
- UEMOA Tournament
Friendly Tournament Success
- Competition organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, officially not recognized by FIFA.
Summary of Senior Competitions
Senior Competitions | ![]() |
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Total |
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CAF African Cup of Nations | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
CAF African Nations Championship | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Total | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malí para niños