Team Captain: Seydou Keita (in photo) FIFA Rank: 49
Coach: Henryk Kasperczak
Captain: Seydou Keita
Nickname: Les Aigles (The Eagles)
Best AFCON finish: Second (1972)
AFCON 2013 finish: Third
AFCON PEDIGREE:
The 2015 AFCON tournament will be a fifth successive time the Eagles compete in Africa's showpiece after also having made the 2013, 2012, 2010 and 2008 editions.
Coach: Henryk Kasperczak
Captain: Seydou Keita
Nickname: Les Aigles (The Eagles)
Best AFCON finish: Second (1972)
AFCON 2013 finish: Third
AFCON PEDIGREE:
The 2015 AFCON tournament will be a fifth successive time the Eagles compete in Africa's showpiece after also having made the 2013, 2012, 2010 and 2008 editions.
By: Farai Diza
With the exception of the 1972 competition, when Mali lost 3-2 to The People's Republic of the Congo in the final, their best finishes have come in the two most recent AFCON's, with the Eagles finishing third in both 2012 and 2013.
The West Africans have also finished in fourth spot three times, having achieved this in 2004, 2002 and 1994.
Prior to 1990, Mali's record at the continental showpiece is poor, with their second place finish in 1972 being the only other time between 1957 and 1994 that they participated in the tournament.
SQUAD OVERVIEW:
Seydou Keita is far and away Mali's most famous and successful player, the Roma midfielder having enjoyed four trophy-laden years at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012. Keita will be 35 when the tournament kicks off. Playing in his seventh AFCON, he is the country's most capped player, with nearly 100 international under his belt since making his debut in 2000, while he is also the Eagles' all-time leading goal-scorer.
Another potentially key player for Mali is Bakary Sako, an attack-minded midfield goal-scorer, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in England's second tier. The 26-year-old, who was born in France, has been a frequent goal scorer and creator for Wolves and has already netted three goals in eight matches for Mali since making his debut last year.
At the back, the experience of Adama Tamboura could be key; now into his 11th year as a full international, Tamboura is the most experienced defender in the squad, with around 70 caps to his name, and has played his club football in Sweden, France and Denmark.
The bulk of the remainder of the Mali squad play their club football in Europe, with many of them plying their trade in France, as well as in leagues such as Turkey and Belgium, although not for any of the bigger clubs.
FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Germain Berthe (Onze Createurs), Soumaila Diakite (Esteghlal Meli-Sanati Khuzestan), Ntji Michel Samake (CS Duguwolofila)
Defenders: Idrissa Coulibaly (Hassania Agadir), Ousmane Coulibaly (Platanias), Salif Coulibaly (TP Mazembe Englebert), Drissa Diakite (Bastia), Fousseyni Diawara (Tours), Mohamed Konate (Renaissance Berkane), Adama Tamboura (Randers), Molla Wague (Udinese)
Midfielders: Sigamary Diarra (Valenciennes), Tongo Hamed Doumbia (Toulouse), Seydou Keita (Roma), Mamoutou Ndiaye (Zulte Waregem), Yacouba Sylla (Erciyesspor), Abdou Traore (Girondins Bordeaux)
Strikers: Abdoulaye Diaby (Mouscron-Peruwelz), Modibo Maiga (Metz), Bakary Sako (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Mohamed Traore (Al Merreikh), Mustapha Yatabare (Trabzonspor), Sambou Yattabare (En Avant Guingamp)
The West Africans have also finished in fourth spot three times, having achieved this in 2004, 2002 and 1994.
Prior to 1990, Mali's record at the continental showpiece is poor, with their second place finish in 1972 being the only other time between 1957 and 1994 that they participated in the tournament.
SQUAD OVERVIEW:
Seydou Keita is far and away Mali's most famous and successful player, the Roma midfielder having enjoyed four trophy-laden years at Barcelona from 2008 to 2012. Keita will be 35 when the tournament kicks off. Playing in his seventh AFCON, he is the country's most capped player, with nearly 100 international under his belt since making his debut in 2000, while he is also the Eagles' all-time leading goal-scorer.
Another potentially key player for Mali is Bakary Sako, an attack-minded midfield goal-scorer, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in England's second tier. The 26-year-old, who was born in France, has been a frequent goal scorer and creator for Wolves and has already netted three goals in eight matches for Mali since making his debut last year.
At the back, the experience of Adama Tamboura could be key; now into his 11th year as a full international, Tamboura is the most experienced defender in the squad, with around 70 caps to his name, and has played his club football in Sweden, France and Denmark.
The bulk of the remainder of the Mali squad play their club football in Europe, with many of them plying their trade in France, as well as in leagues such as Turkey and Belgium, although not for any of the bigger clubs.
FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Germain Berthe (Onze Createurs), Soumaila Diakite (Esteghlal Meli-Sanati Khuzestan), Ntji Michel Samake (CS Duguwolofila)
Defenders: Idrissa Coulibaly (Hassania Agadir), Ousmane Coulibaly (Platanias), Salif Coulibaly (TP Mazembe Englebert), Drissa Diakite (Bastia), Fousseyni Diawara (Tours), Mohamed Konate (Renaissance Berkane), Adama Tamboura (Randers), Molla Wague (Udinese)
Midfielders: Sigamary Diarra (Valenciennes), Tongo Hamed Doumbia (Toulouse), Seydou Keita (Roma), Mamoutou Ndiaye (Zulte Waregem), Yacouba Sylla (Erciyesspor), Abdou Traore (Girondins Bordeaux)
Strikers: Abdoulaye Diaby (Mouscron-Peruwelz), Modibo Maiga (Metz), Bakary Sako (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Mohamed Traore (Al Merreikh), Mustapha Yatabare (Trabzonspor), Sambou Yattabare (En Avant Guingamp)
By Farai Diza
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