Mali prepares to match on to the 2022 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) with one aim in mind, to finally capture the title they have come very close, but yet so far away from bagging.
The Malians have competed at the CHAN in five of the seven editions, one of the most consistent teams in the competition.
They have performed equally well, having played the final twice in five of those occasions (2016 and 2020). Having come close twice, the Malian Eagles are keen to change this phase of results by going one better and charging at the title this year.
A country recognizable for its local talent, Mali is littered with many football academies which supply the country with an endless conveyer belt of players with some of the big clubs in the country churning out world class talent year in, year out.
In qualification to next January's competition, Mali started off their campaign with home and away victories against Sierra Leone, beating the Leone Stars 2-1 away from home and winning 2-0 in Bamako.
Most of the players in the squad have been supplied by some of the biggest clubs in the country, the likes of Stade Malien, Djoliba and AS Real Bamako. Coach Nouhoum Diané will look towards this same crop of players to charge for the title in Algiers.
Schedule (Group D)
January 16: Mali - Angola, 5:00 p.m. local time, Oran Olympic Stadium
January 24: Mauritania - Mali, 5:00 p.m. local time, Oran Olympic Stadium
The coach
The Malian army to the 2022 CHAN will be under the tutelage of 58 year old Diane, a master tactician. He is a former midfielder who spent of his days in club football in Côte d'Ivoire, and a clear lover of attacking football.
Diane is a master of Malian local football and is also currently the head coach at Real Bamako.
Players to watch
Groomed at the Jean Marc Guillou center, midfielder Makan Samabally is one of the players to look out for in Algeria. He plays his club football under Diane at Real Bamako and one who the tactician heavily relies on to execute his game plan on the pitch.
He is a midfielder with good vision and passing range and his qualities are expected to come into full display for Mali at the tournament.
Another player to look out for is 20-year old Ousmane Coulibaly who showed his qualities all through the qualifiers.
Participation in CHAN
Mali had its first participation in CHAN in 2011 in Sudan during the second edition of the competition when it was increased from eight to 16 teams.
Mali lost its first two games (Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon) before a final draw (DR Congo). They were eliminated in the first round.
In 2014, for its second participation, Mali had already learnt the ropes in the competition. They earned seven points from the group phase to finish top of their group and make a place in the knockout phases. They were however beaten by Zimbabwe in the quarter finals.
In 2016, when the tournament was played in Rwanda, Malia made their best performance when they went all the way to the final, but lost to DR Congo at the Amahoro Stadium.
Mali then failed to qualify for the 2018 edition but returned in 2020 where they once again impressed, making a place in the final, losing to Morocco who clinched their second consecutive CHAN title.
The big clubs in Mali
In Mali, four clubs have dominated the championship for years. Stade Malien de Bamako, the most successful club in the country has 20 titles. It also done well in Continental football and they clinched the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup in 2009, and reached the Champions League final of 1965.
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Another big club in Mali is Djoliba who have 14 titles while AS Real Bamako is the third biggest in the country with its 3 national titles and 10 National Cups.
Participations and successes in CAF interclub competitions
CAF Champions League
Finalists: Stade Malien (1965), AS Real Bamako (1966)
CAF Confederation Cup:
Winners: Stade Malien (2009)
CHAN Archives
Mali's journey during the 2020 edition
Matchday 1: Mali 1-0 Burkina Faso
Day 2: Cameroon 1-1 Mali
Matchday 3: Zimbabwe 0-1 Mali
Quarter-final: Mali 0(5)-(4)0 Congo
Semi-final: Mali 0(5)-(4)0 Guinea
Final : Mali 0-2 Morocco
