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Mali
Nickname(s)	Les Aigles; (The Eagles)
Association	Fédération Malienne; de Football
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Head coach	Stephen Keshi
Captain	Mahamadou Diarra
Home stadium	Stade 26 mars
FIFA code	MLI
FIFA ranking	51
Highest FIFA ranking	35 (March 2007)
Lowest FIFA ranking	117 (October 2001)
Elo ranking	69
Highest Elo ranking	42 (1971)
Lowest Elo ranking	127 (September 1996)
Home colours	Away colours
First international
	Mali 4 – 3 Central African Rep. ; (Madagascar; 13 April 1960)
Biggest win
	Mali 6 – 0 Mauritania ; (Mali; 1 May 1975)
Biggest defeat
	Algeria 7 - 0 Mali ; (Algeria; 13 November 1988); Kuwait 8 – 1 Mali ; (Kuwait City, Kuwait; 5 September 1997)
African Nations Cup
Appearances	5 (First in 1972)
Best result	Second place, 1972

Players from the Mali national squad warm up before the Mali-Lithuania friendly at Stade de Marville - La Courneuve (France), 6 February 2007.

The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles (The Eagles), is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals; in fact, although the association was affiliated with FIFA in 1962, Mali's first World Cup qualifier wasn't played until 2000.

[edit] History

Despite not playing their first actual World Cup qualifier until 2000, Mali has a long and colourful football history.

In 1972, a team containing stars like Kidian Diallo as well as Salif Keita, Fantamady Keita and Bako Toure (all three either played or would play top-flight football in France) reached the African Nations Cup final but lost 3-2 to Congo.

Further appearances in the Nations Cup eluded them until 1994, but noteworthy stars of the 70s and 80s included Drissa "Poker" Traore, Gaoussou Samaké, Mohamed Djila and Abdoulaye Kaloga.

In 1994, a side containing goalkeeper Osumane Farota (who was voted the tournament's outstanding goalkeeper) and midfielder Pathé Diallo stunned hosts Tunisia in their opening match and went on to reach the semi-finals.

Since 2002, Mali has re-emerged as a significant force in African football, but Nations Cup success and World Cup qualification has eluded them so far.

In March 2005, riots broke out in Bamako after Mali lost a World Cup qualifier to Togo, 2-1 on a last minute goal.

[edit] Mali Football Achievements

Amilcar Cabral Cup :

3 Times Champion (1989, 1997, 2007)
4 Times Runners-up

[edit] World Cup record

1930 to 1962 - Did not enter
1966 - Withdrew
1970 to 1990 - Did not enter
1994 - Withdrew
1998 - Withdrew
2002 to 2010- Did not qualify

[edit] African Nations Cup record

1957 to 1963 - Did not enter
1965 to 1970 - Did not qualify
1972 - Second place
1974 - Did not qualify
1976 - Did not qualify
1978 - Disqualified
1980 - Did not enter
1982 to 1986 - Did not qualify
1988 - Withdrew
1990 - Did not qualify
1992 - Did not qualify
1994 - Fourth place
1996 - Did not qualify
1998 - Did not qualify
2000 - Did not qualify
2002 - Fourth place
2004 - Fourth place
2006 - Did not qualify
2008 - Round 1

[edit] Current squad

The following players were called for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifyier against Benin on September 6, 2009.

No.	Pos.	Player	DoB (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	GK	Mahamadou Sidibè	8 October 1978 (1978-10-08) (age 31)	90	0	AC Omonoia
16	GK	Soumbeïla Diakité	25 August 1984 (1984-08-25) (age 25)	8	0	Stade Malien
	GK	Almamy Sogoba		0	0	AS Real Bamako

2	DF	Amadou Sidibé	19 February 1986 (1986-02-19) (age 23)	8	0	AJ Auxerre
3	DF	Adama Tamboura	18 May 1985 (1985-05-18) (age 24)	28	0	Helsingborgs IF
4	DF	Adama Coulibaly	9 October 1980 (1980-10-09) (age 29)	46	1	AJ Auxerre
5	DF	Souleymane Diamoutene	30 January 1983 (1983-01-30) (age 26)	41	1	A.S. Bari
18	DF	Bakary Soumaré	9 November 1985 (1985-11-09) (age 24)	4	0	US Boulogne
	DF	Djimi Traoré	1 March 1980 (1980-03-01) (age 29)	5	1	AS Monaco
	DF	Abdoulaye Maïga		1	0	Stade Malien
	DF	Mahamadou Mariko		1	0	Djoliba Athletic Club

6	MF	Alphousseyni Keita	3 September 1985 (1985-09-03) (age 24)	6	1	Le Mans Union Club 72
10	MF	Soumaïla Coulibaly	15 April 1978 (1978-04-15) (age 31)	39	7	FSV Frankfurt
12	MF	Seydou Keita	16 January 1980 (1980-01-16) (age 29)	49	13	FC Barcelona
14	MF	Drissa Diakité	18 February 1985 (1985-02-18) (age 24)	16	0	OGC Nice
15	MF	Bakaye Traoré	6 March 1985 (1985-03-06) (age 24)	3	0	AS Nancy
17	MF	Mahamane El-Hadji Traoré	31 August 1988 (1988-08-31) (age 21)	9	0	OGC Nice (WCQ v. Sudan, 22 June)
	MF	Lassana Fané		3	0	Al-Merreikh

7	FW	Modibo Maïga	3 September 1986 (1986-09-03) (age 23)	9	1	Le Mans Union Club 72
8	FW	Mamadou Diallo	17 April 1982 (1982-04-17) (age 27)	29	6	Le Havre AC
9	FW	Frédéric Kanouté	2 September 1977 (1977-09-02) (age 32)	33	20	Sevilla FC
11	FW	Mamadou Samassa	1 May 1986 (1986-05-01) (age 23)	1	1	Valenciennes FC
13	FW	Sigamary Diarra	10 January 1984 (1984-01-10) (age 25)	4	0	FC Lorient
	FW	Mustapha Yatabaré	26 January 1986 (1986-01-26) (age 23)	2	1	Clermont Foot

[edit] Recent call ups

Pos.	Player	DoB (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
GK	Oumar Sissoko	13 September 1987 (1987-09-13) (age 22)	2	0	Metz
GK	Cheikh Oumar Bathily	10 October 1982 (1982-10-10) (age 27)			Djoliba AC (WCQ v. Sudan, 22 June)

DF	Boubacar Koné	21 August 1984 (1984-08-21) (age 25)	11	0	Maghreb Fez
DF	Cheick Oumar Ballo		1	0	Korofina
DF	Bassirou Bamba		0	0	Cercle Olympique (WCQ v. Sudan, 22 June)
DF	Kalifa Cissé	1 September 1981 (1981-09-01) (age 28)	1	0	Reading (WCQ v. Sudan, 22 June)
DF	Moussa Coulibaly	19 May 1981 (1981-05-19) (age 28)	4	1	MC Algiers (WCQ v. Sudan, 22 June)
DF	Kalilou Doumbia	25 January 1982 (1982-01-25) (age 27)	1	0	Djoliba AC
DF	Zoumana Doumbia		1	0	Jeanne D'Arc FC
DF	Cédric Kanté	6 August 1979 (1979-08-06) (age 30)	25	0	Panathinaikos
DF	Koman Bily Keïta		1	0	Jeanne D'Arc FC
DF	Sammy Traoré	25 February 1976 (1976-02-25) (age 33)	15	0	Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

MF	Sambou Yatabaré	2 March 1989 (1989-03-02) (age 20)	1	0	Caen
MF	Mohamed Sissoko	22 January 1985 (1985-01-22) (age 24)	26	2	Juventus
MF	Souleymane Dembélé	3 September 1984 (1984-09-03) (age 25)	12	0	Djoliba AC
MF	Cheick Fantamady Diarra		1	0	Centre Salif Keita
MF	Mahamadou Diarra	18 May 1981 (1981-05-18) (age 28)	43	6	Real Madrid
MF	Sidi Yaya Keita	20 March 1985 (1985-03-20) (age 24)	9	3	Xerez C.D
MF	Djibril Sidibé	23 March 1982 (1982-03-23) (age 27)	42	4	CS Sedan (WCQ v. Congo, 7 September)
MF	Oumar Sidibé		1	0	AS Real
MF	Aboubacar Tambadou	20 August 1980 (1980-08-20) (age 29)	3	0	Stade Malien
MF	Abdou Traoré	17 January 1988 (1988-01-17) (age 21)	1	0	Bordeaux (WCQ v. Sudan, 22 June)
MF	Bassala Touré	21 February 1976 (1976-02-21) (age 33)	37	4	Levadiakos F.C.
MF	Bakary Diakité	9 November 1980 (1980-11-09) (age 29)	2	0	FSV Frankfurt
MF	Mahamadou Dissa	18 May 1979 (1979-05-18) (age 30)	15	2	K.S.V. Roeselare

FW	Mamadou Bagayoko	21 May 1979 (1979-05-21) (age 30)	18	1	OGC Nice (WCQ v. Sudan 22 June)
FW	Sékou Camara		1	1	Centre Salif Keita
FW	Amadou Diamouténé		1	1	Cercle Olympique
FW	Tenema N'Diaye	13 February 1981 (1981-02-13) (age 28)	7	0	FC Nantes
FW	Mamady Sidibé	18 December 1979 (1979-12-18) (age 29)	12	0	Stoke City (WCQ v. Congo, 7 September)
FW	Founéké Sy		1	0	Nassaji Mazandaran
FW	Cheïbane Traoré		1	0	CS Duguwolofila
FW	Dramane Traoré	17 June 1982 (1982-06-17) (age 27)	26	6	Kuban Krasnodar
	Moussa Camara				AS Sigui
FW	Jimmy Kébé	19 January 1984 (1984-01-19) (age 25)	2	0	Reading
FW	Cheik Diabaté	25 April 1988 (1988-04-25) (age 21)	7	1	AS Nancy