Member Association Focus: Mali
Our weekly Member Association focus falls on Mali, a member of the Confédération Africaine de Football since 1963.
NATIONAL TEAM
‘Les Aigles’ are increasing a force to be reckoned with in the continental game, having finished their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 qualifiers undefeated, topping Group I ahead of Mozambique, Guinea Bissau and Eswatini with 14 out of a possible 16 points. They will go to next year’s finals among the fancied teams but before that have their sights set on qualification for a first-ever FIFA World Cup finals appearance. They had appointed the Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet after the dismissal of Eric Chelle in June, following defeat at home to Ghana and an away draw with Madagascar in their last two World Cup qualifiers. Mali’s women’s team will be competing in June in the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco where they have been drawn in Group C with holders South Africa, Ghana and Tanzania.
CLUBS
Djoliba became the first Malian club to qualify for the group phase of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League this season and at the halfway stage of the campaign have two points in Group D. Stade Malien sit second in Group B in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup, well placed to advance to the quarter-finals. They won the competition in 2009. The new domestic season kicked off last month as 14 clubs participate in the Première Division. AS Mande competed in the WAFU Zone A qualifiers for the CAF Women's Champions League but failed to make last month’s finals in Morocco.
LEADERSHIP
Mamatou Toure was re-elected in 2023 as the president of the Malian Football Federation and is also a member of the FIFA Council. He served as football director at AS Real Bamako and as director of women’s football at the Malian Football Association.
HISTORY
Mali icon Salif Keita was the first African Footballer of the Year winner in 1970. As a teenager he was in the Stade Malien side that lost in the first African Champions Cup final in 1965 and thereafter moved to St Etienne in France where he won three successive Ligue 1 titles from 1968-70 and became a fan favourite in a golden period for one of France’s most beloved clubs. He scored 42 goals alone in the 1970-71 season when St Etienne finished second to Olympique de Marseille, where he moved in 1972. He later served as president of the Mali Football Federation but sadly passed away in September, aged 76.