South Africa, Mali battle for Group C top spot
After navigating the twists and turns of Group C, the reigning African champions South Africa and West African dark horses Mali now find themselves on a collision course with the Group C top slot at stake at the ongoing TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 in Morocco.
With four points each from a possible six, both teams will be looking for bragging rights and an opportunity to finish the group stage on a high note. Away from becoming table leaders, the result of this fixture will determine the quarterfinal matchups going forward.
One game at a time
If it is not broken, why fix it? For a team that has already won the WAFCON, the Banyana Banyana know a thing or two about how to excel at tournament football. It is a whole different ball game. Dr Desiree Ellis’ outfit are right on cue, efficient in the final third and solid at the back. They have only conceded once – a diagonal header by Tanzania’s Opa Clement.
Mexico-based midfielder Amogelang Motau, who won the title with South Africa three years ago is in high spirits ahead of the tie against Mali and says, “The mentality going into this tournament was to take it one game at a time. That is what won us the tournament in 2022. We came in as contenders and our goal is to finish top.”
“Off the field, we are a very solid team. We are going through a transition. We are making it look seamless, but it is not. There’s going to be a lot of player rotation. There are new players coming into the team. There are good seniors who are guiding us.”
Ellis, who sought rotation against Tanzania making four changes, affirms this and believes that her squad has the character of champions as they try to defend their title. “No game is easy because they [Mali] know that they are in it as well. We know what we have to do that is very important to us. We want to rotate the ball quicker and be more efficient in the final third.”
“We are working on what we need to learn from the other games and how we need to help each other on the pitch. We want to stay true to who we are because the minute we put the ball on the ground; there will be some very good moments. Getting into the final third with those movements with that quick combination play and that is what we need to do.”
Respectful but not scared
Facing defending champions can sometimes force an opponent into early submission but not Mali. Les Aigles Dames have been building their confidence from the onset. They are meticulate in the way that they approach games and more importantly, they know how to win.
Their opponents – Tanzania (1-0) and Ghana (1-1) will never forget Mali. Even when it looked like both sides were dominating play for the most part, before they knew it, Mali was walking down the tunnel with big smiles on their faces, content and with their chins up.
It is the killer instint that is crucial in tournament football. Mali have mastered this. And at the heart of it all is head coach Mohamed Saloum whose evergreen tactics continue to inspire a young and spirited Malian side that is here to write history – slowly but surely.
“We know South Africa very well. They are compact. We think that in this competition as defending champions, they are a tough team to play. Each team has their own philosophy, and we shall rely on our quality. We shall respond accordingly. Did anyone think that Tanzania will draw with South Africa? This is football. We will bring all our leverage to make sure that it works on our side as we chase the first place,” Saloum says with confidence.
The last time the two sides faced each other was at the 2018 edition when South Africa edged Mali 2-0 thanks to goals by Thembi Kgatlana and Lebohang Ramalepe. But Saloum believes that his side have since evolved. They have grown in stature and will approach this game with the maturity that it deserves.
Yakare Niakaté, who features for Nice in France at club level, says with a composed smile, “There are two teams in this fixture but for me, there is no favourite team. They [South Africa] are a good team that is competitive and that won the title but we as Mali are here to represent our country and show what we can do. We are here now. We know our quality. We shall do everything possible to gain positives from the game.”
Playing in her first ever WAFCON, Niakaté admits that, “It is a great pleasure to be in the biggest tournament of Africa. We played against Ghana – a big team in Africa, we faced Tanzania who are also coming up now and now, we are going to face the defending champions, this is exactly where I want to be. I want to express myself on the field of play and play against the best teams in Africa.”
Mali’s best performance was back in 2018 when they reached the semifinals and according to Saloum, they want to get to the podium – better their last result.