History and honours of the Eagles
From the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations final to golden youth generations: the story of Mali's national teams.
Origins
The Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) was founded in 1960. It joined the Confederation of African Football in 1963 and then became affiliated to FIFA. The team’s first recorded matches also date from 1960: on 13 April it beat the Central African Republic 4-3, and on 2 October it lost 5-1 to Ghana.
Playing in green, gold and red, the Eagles host their home matches at the Stade du 26-Mars in Bamako. The stadium was inaugurated at the end of 2001 for the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, which Mali hosted.
Malian football made its mark on the continent early. In 1970, forward Salif Keïta received the very first African Footballer of the Year award. On 1 October 1972, the Eagles recorded the biggest win in their history, 11-0 against Mauritania.
Great moments at the Africa Cup of Nations
Mali has reached the Africa Cup of Nations finals fourteen times. On their first appearance, in Cameroon in 1972, they reached the final. After beating Zaire in the semi-final (4-3 after extra time), they lost 3-2 to Congo on 5 March 1972. This remains the team’s best result to date.
The Eagles then reached the semi-finals three more times and finished fourth each time: in Tunisia in 1994, at home in 2002 and in Tunisia again in 2004. They then finished third at two tournaments in a row. In 2012, in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, they beat Ghana 2-0 in the third-place match. In 2013, in South Africa, they beat Ghana again, 3-1.
Mali has also suffered some painful exits. In 2015, level with Guinea on every criterion, the team went out on a drawing of lots. In 2024, in Côte d’Ivoire, the host nation knocked them out in the quarter-finals with a goal in the dying seconds of extra time (1-2).
At AFCON 2025 in Morocco, the Eagles went through the group stage unbeaten, with three draws. In the round of 16 they knocked out Tunisia on penalties. They then lost 1-0 to Senegal in the quarter-finals, on 9 January 2026 in Tangier.
Mali has yet to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals. They came closest in qualifying for the 2022 tournament, when Tunisia beat them in the final round (0-1, 0-0).
Golden youth generations
Mali’s youth teams have often flown the national flag high. The under-20s finished third at the world championship for their age group in Nigeria in 1999, and again in New Zealand in 2015. In 2019, they won their first continental title, beating Senegal on penalties in the final in Niamey.
The under-17s were crowned African champions in 2015 and again in 2017. In Chile in 2015, they reached the World Cup final, which they lost 2-0 to Nigeria. They finished fourth at the world tournament in 2017 and third in Indonesia in 2023. In September 2026, Mali’s under-17s also won the football tournament at the 2nd AES Games in Ouagadougou.
At the Olympic Games, the team reached the quarter-finals in Athens in 2004, losing to Italy after extra time. It also took part in the 2024 Games in Paris. The A’ team, made up of home-based players, has played in two African Nations Championship finals: in 2016 against DR Congo, and in the 2020 edition, played in 2021, against Morocco.
The women’s team has played at nine Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Its best performance is fourth place in 2018.
Legends
- Salif Keïta (1964-1972) was the first African Footballer of the Year, in 1970.
- Seydou Keita (1998-2015) holds both of the team’s records: 102 caps and 25 goals.
- Frédéric Kanouté scored 23 goals in 39 caps. He was the 2007 African Footballer of the Year and the first winner born outside Africa.
- Several players embodied the Eagles’ consistency: Mahamadou Sidibé (97 caps), Bassala Touré (95 caps, 17 goals), Soumaila Coulibaly (83 caps) and Mahamadou Diarra (73 caps).
The Eagles today
Anthony Da Silva has been head coach since June 2026. He succeeded Tom Saintfiet, who led the team to the quarter-finals of AFCON 2025. Mali is ranked 47th in the FIFA ranking of 7 October 2026. Its highest ranking is 23rd, reached in June 2013. The Eagles are now playing in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, with a stated goal of reaching the 2030 World Cup.
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Africa Cup of Nations: every appearance
| Year | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Cameroun | Finaliste (2e) |
| 1994 | Tunisie | 4e place |
| 2002 | Mali | 4e place |
| 2004 | Tunisie | 4e place |
| 2008 | Ghana | Phase de groupes |
| 2010 | Angola | Phase de groupes |
| 2012 | Gabon / Guinée équatoriale | 3e place (bronze) |
| 2013 | Afrique du Sud | 3e place (bronze) |
| 2015 | Guinée équatoriale | Phase de groupes |
| 2017 | Gabon | Phase de groupes |
| 2019 | Égypte | Huitièmes de finale |
| 2021 | Cameroun (disputée en janvier 2022) | Huitièmes de finale |
| 2023 | Côte d'Ivoire (disputée en 2024) | Quarts de finale |
| 2025 | Maroc (disputée déc. 2025 – janv. 2026) | Quarts de finale |
