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	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 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	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
Kappa	1998–2003
Baliston	2003–2007
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

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	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	Gregory Verheyden
International Scouts	Alessandro Soli Robby Echelmeyer

Coaching History

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

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	Sirius
16	1GK	Djigui Diarra	(1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30)	69	0	Young Africans
	1GK	Lassine Diarra	(2002-11-11) 11 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Lyon
3	2DF	Amadou Dante	(2000-10-07) 7 October 2000 (age 24)	13	0	Arouca
6	2DF	Sikou Niakaté	(1999-07-10) 10 July 1999 (age 26)	15	0	Braga
15	2DF	Cheick Keita	(1996-04-16) 16 April 1996 (age 29)	1	0	L'Aquila
21	2DF	Salim Diakité	(2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 25)	7	0	Palermo
25	2DF	Woyo Coulibaly	(1999-05-26) 26 May 1999 (age 26)	1	0	Leicester City
	2DF	Fodé Doucouré	(2001-02-03) 3 February 2001 (age 24)	5	0	Red Star
	2DF	Issiar Dramé	(1999-02-16) 16 February 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Estrela Amadora
8	3MF	Mahamadou Doumbia	(2004-05-15) 15 May 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Antwerp
10	3MF	Yves Bissouma	(1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 28)	43	5	Tottenham Hotspur
11	3MF	Lassana Coulibaly	(1996-04-10) 10 April 1996 (age 29)	46	0	Lecce
23	3MF	Aliou Dieng	(1997-10-15) 15 October 1997 (age 27)	44	2	Al Ahly
26	3MF	Kamory Doumbia	(2003-02-18) 18 February 2003 (age 22)	24	11	Brest
	3MF	Kalidou Sidibé	(1999-01-28) 28 January 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Guingamp
	3MF	Moussa Diakité	(2003-11-04) 4 November 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Cádiz
7	4FW	Lassine Sinayoko	(1999-12-08) 8 December 1999 (age 25)	22	6	Auxerre
17	4FW	Mamadou Camara	(2001-02-07) 7 February 2001 (age 24)	2	0	Laval
18	4FW	Mustapha Sangaré	(1998-12-24) 24 December 1998 (age 26)	2	0	Levski Sofia
	4FW	Moussa Sylla	(1999-11-25) November 25, 1999 (age 25)	2	0	Schalke 04
	4FW	Mamadou Doumbia	(2006-02-18) 18 February 2006 (age 19)	3	1	Watford
	4FW	Gaoussou Diarra	(2002-11-21) 21 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	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	Stade Malien	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
GK	Mamadou Samassa	(1990-02-16) 16 February 1990 (age 35)	16	0	Laval	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
GK	Youssouf Koita	(2000-08-27) 27 August 2000 (age 24)	1	0	Djoliba	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
GK	Bourama Kone	(2007-03-10) 10 March 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Yeelen	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF	Ousmane Diallo	(1999-11-05) 5 November 1999 (age 25)	7	0	Djoliba	v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
DF	Ibrahima Cissé	(2001-02-15) 15 February 2001 (age 24)	1	0	Schalke 04	v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
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	Boubakar Kouyaté	(1997-04-15) 15 April 1997 (age 28)	35	0	Montpellier	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF	Daouda Guindo	(2002-10-14) 14 October 2002 (age 22)	5	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF	Modibo Sagnan	(1999-04-14) 14 April 1999 (age 26)	4	1	Montpellier	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
DF	Falaye Sacko (captain)	(1995-05-01) 1 May 1995 (age 30)	41	1	Montpellier	v.  Ghana; 6 June 2024
DF	Mamadou Fofana	(1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 27)	44	1	New England Revolution	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
DF	Moussa Diarra	(2000-11-10) 10 November 2000 (age 24)	5	0	Alavés	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
DF	Cheick Oumar Konaté	(2004-04-02) 2 April 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Clermont	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
DF	Abdoulaye Diaby	(2000-07-04) 4 July 2000 (age 25)	8	0	St. Gallen	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
MF	Fady Sidiki Coulibaly	(2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 23)	5	0	Al-Merrikh	v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
MF	Amadou Haidara	(1998-01-31) 31 January 1998 (age 27)	45	2	RB Leipzig	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
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)	41	1	TSG Hoffenheim	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
MF	Mamady Diambou	(2002-11-11) 11 November 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Red Bull Salzburg	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
MF	Mamadou Maiga	(1995-02-10) 10 February 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Pari Nizhny Novgorod	v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
MF	Ibrahima Sissoko	(1997-10-27) 27 October 1997 (age 27)	1	0	VfL Bochum	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
MF	Mamadou Sangaré	(2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 23)	6	0	Rapid Wien	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
MF	Mohamed Camara	(2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 (age 25)	32	3	Al-Sadd	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW	Adama Traoré	(1995-06-05) 5 June 1995 (age 30)	61	9	Ferencváros	v.  Eswatini; 19 November 2024
FW	Moussa Djenepo	(1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 27)	36	3	Antalyaspor	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
FW	Amady Camara	(2005-05-28) 28 May 2005 (age 20)	2	0	Sturm Graz	v.  Guinea-Bissau; 15 October 2024
FW	Sory Ibrahim Diarra	(2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 (age 25)	1	0	Haugesund	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)	11	0	Lausanne-Sport	v.  Madagascar; 10 June 2024
FW	Ibrahim Sissoko	(1995-11-27) 27 November 1995 (age 29)	9	1	Saint-Étienne	v.  Nigeria; 26 March 2024
FW	Dorgeles Nene	(2002-12-23) 23 December 2002 (age 22)	23	7	Red Bull Salzburg	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW	Sékou Koïta	(1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 25)	35	4	CSKA Moscow	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW	El Bilal Touré	(2001-10-03) 3 October 2001 (age 23)	25	9	VfB Stuttgart	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW	Youssoufou Niakaté	(1992-12-16) 16 December 1992 (age 32)	7	1	Baniyas	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
FW	Ibrahima Koné	(1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 26)	22	13	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.

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

Most Appearances for Mali

Top Goalscorers for Mali

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
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									6	2	3	1	8	4
2030										To be determined
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
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										6	4	2	0	10	1
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
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 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
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

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
  • Runners-up (2): 2016, 2020
• African Games¹
  • Silver medal (1): 1965

Regional Tournament Wins

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

Friendly Tournament Success

• Qatar International Friendship Tournament
  • 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				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

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Malí para niños