Mali Begin Preparations in France Ahead of Ethiopia Clash
The Mali national team has begun preparations in Meudon, just outside Paris, ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia on 11 October in Addis Ababa.
As part of their Group B campaign for Morocco 2015, the Eagles — currently second in the group behind Algeria — are training daily at 16:30 local time before departing for Ethiopia on Thursday, the day before the crucial fixture.
Coach Henry Kasperczak is managing a staggered arrival of his squad, with several key players expected to join the camp on Tuesday morning. These include captain Seydou Keita of AS Roma, Trabzonspor striker Mustapha Yatabaré, and Cheick Fantamady Diarra of Auxerre, who has been called up to replace the injured Cheick Tidiane Diabaté.
Logistical issues, particularly visa delays, have complicated the full assembly of the squad. Several members — including goalkeeper Germain Berthé and defenders Salif Coulibaly, Mohamed Konaté, and Idrissa Coulibaly — will not arrive until Wednesday morning. The coaching and medical staff, along with team logistics personnel, are also expected on the same day, just hours before the team’s scheduled departure for Addis Ababa.
Mali go into the match with three points from their opening two games, trailing group leaders Algeria, who have six. Ethiopia, meanwhile, are bottom of the group and are yet to register a point, making this a must-win encounter for the East Africans.
Coach Kasperczak’s 23-man squad is a mix of experienced internationals and emerging talent, drawn largely from European clubs. The squad includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders, and four forwards.
Full Squad List:
Goalkeepers:
Mamadou Samassa (Guingamp, FRA)
Oumar Sissoko (Ajaccio, FRA)
Germain Berthé (COB, MLI)
Defenders:
Drissa Diakité (SC Bastia, FRA)
Alassane També (Kortrijk, BEL)
Ousmane Coulibaly (Platanias FC, GRE)
Fousseniny Diawara (Tours FC, FRA)
Adama Tamboura (Randers, DEN)
Idrissa Coulibaly (Difaâ El Jadida, MAR)
Salif Coulibaly (TP Mazembe, DRC)
Mohamed Konaté (Berkane, MAR)
Midfielders:
Bakaye Traoré (Bursaspor, TUR)
Seydou Keita (AS Roma, ITA)
Tongo Doumbia (Toulouse, FRA)
Sigamary Diarra (Valenciennes, FRA)
Mamoutou Ndiaye (Zulte Waregem, BEL)
Yacouba Sylla (Erciyesspor, TUR)
Sambou Yatabaré (Guingamp, FRA)
Bakary Sako (Wolverhampton, ENG)
Forwards:
Mustapha Yatabaré (Trabzonspor, TUR)
Cheick Fantamady Diarra (Auxerre, FRA)
Mohamed Traoré (Al Merreikh, SUD)
Abdoulaye Diaby (Mouscron, BEL)
The Eagles will be aiming to secure all three points in Ethiopia to maintain pressure on Algeria and keep their qualification hopes firmly on track.
Let me know if you’d like this formatted as a match preview closer to game day, or expanded with historical head-to-head stats between Mali and Ethiopia.
