Football national side
Mali
National team · Mali
«The Eagles»
Every big Malian occasion in football eventually turns into a meeting with Senegal. The West African Derby has settled two AFCON finals in Senegal's favour, in 2002 and again in 2021.
There have been plenty of those near-misses. Mali reached the AFCON final once, in 1972, and lost 3–2 to the Republic of Congo. Semi-final exits followed in 1994, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2013 and 2023. In the African Nations Championship, reserved for home-based players, Mali lost the 2016 final to DR Congo and the 2020 final to Morocco.
The team came together in the same year Mali left French rule, in 1960, and played its first international that April, beating the Central African Republic 4–3 in Antananarivo. Home games since have gone to the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, renovated and re-homologated by the Confederation of African Football in February 2022.
Latest results
Fixtures and results| 3 Oct | Friendlies |
Tunisia
A
|
||
| 29 Sep | Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification |
Liberia
A
|
1:0 | W |
| 25 Sep | Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification |
Cape Verde
H
|
3:1 | W |
| 4 Jun | Friendlies |
Iran
A
|
0:2 | L |
| 31 Mar | Friendlies |
Russia
A
|
0:0 | D |
| 27 Mar | Friendlies |
Russia
A
|
Standing
Africa Cup of Nations - QualificationGroup stage · Africa Cup of Nations - Qualification - Group K
| # | Team | M | W | L | Goals | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Rwanda
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 5:2 | 6 |
| 2 |
 Mali
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 4:1 | 6 |
| 3 |
Cape Verde
|
2 | 0 | 2 | 2:5 | 0 |
| 4 |
Liberia
|
2 | 0 | 2 | 1:4 | 0 |
Team statistics
matches counted in total: 79| Metric | Total | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 79 | 39 | 40 |
| Scored | 103 | 72 | 31 |
| Conceded | 43 | 21 | 22 |
| Scored per game | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| Conceded per game | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Difference | +60 | +51 | +9 |
Key players
by appearances over the last year
Squad of Mali
by appearances over the last year| Number | Player | Position | Age | Matches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 |  Aliou Dieng |
Midfielder | 3 | ||
| 22 | |
 Mamadou Samassa |
Goalkeeper | 36 | 3 |
| 6 | |
 Ousmane Diakité |
Midfielder | 26 | 3 |
| 14 | |
 Nathan Gassama |
Defender | 25 | 3 |
| 21 | |
 G. Diarra |
Forward | 23 | 3 |
| 8 | |
 Mamadou Sangaré |
Midfielder | 24 | 2 |
| 20 |  Sékou Koïta |
Forward | 2 | ||
| 5 | |
 Cheick Keita |
Defender | 23 | 2 |
| 15 | |
 Daouda Guindo |
Defender | 24 | 2 |
| 12 | |
 Ange Tia |
Midfielder | 19 | 2 |
| 10 | |
 Kamory Doumbia |
Midfielder | 23 | 2 |
| 18 | |
 Mamadou Dumbia |
Forward | 20 | 2 |
| 3 |  Amadou Danté |
Defender | 2 | ||
| 17 |  Lassine Sinayoko |
Forward | 2 | ||
| 25 |  Ousmane Camara |
Defender | 2 | ||
| 4 |  Amadou Haidara |
Midfielder | 2 | ||
| 19 |  Adama Mohamed Camara |
Midfielder | 2 | ||
| 2 |  Hamari Traoré |
Defender | 2 | ||
| 11 |  Lassana Coulibaly |
Midfielder | 2 | ||
| 16 |  Djigui Diarra |
Goalkeeper | 2 | ||
| 7 |  Nene Dorgeles |
Midfielder | 2 | ||
| 13 |  Modibo Sagnan |
Defender | 2 | ||
| 1 |  Emil Dukore |
Goalkeeper | 1 | ||
| 94 |  Wilson Samaké |
Forward | 1 | ||
| 8 | |
 Mamadou Maiga |
Forward | 31 | 1 |
| 14 |  Ibrahima Cissé |
Defender | 1 | ||
| 93 | |
 M. Camara |
Forward | 25 | 1 |
| 99 | |
 Ismaël Diarra Diawara |
Goalkeeper | 31 | 1 |
| 96 |  S. Diabate |
Midfielder | 1 | ||
| 10 |  G. Diakite |
Forward | 1 | ||
| 6 |  Kalidou Sidibé |
Midfielder | 1 | ||
| 18 |  M. Dumbia |
Forward | 1 | ||
| 92 |  N'Golo Traore |
Goalkeeper | 1 | ||
| 13 |  Fodé Doucouré |
Defender | 1 | ||
| 98 |  Nelson Alpha Sissoko |
Defender | 1 | ||
| 12 | |
 Moussa Diakité |
Midfielder | 22 | 1 |
Fixtures of Mali
Honours of Mali
- African Nations Championship 2016, 2020 2
- Africa Cup of Nations 1972 1
- Africa Cup of Nations 2012, 2013 2