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CAF
6 days ago
- Sport
- CAF
South Africa, Mali battle for Group C top spot
After navigating the twists and turns of Group C, the reigning African champions South Africa and West African dark horses Mali now find themselves on a collision course with the Group C top slot at stake at the ongoing TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 in Morocco. With four points each from a possible six, both teams will be looking for bragging rights and an opportunity to finish the group stage on a high note. Away from becoming table leaders, the result of this fixture will determine the quarterfinal matchups going forward. One game at a time If it is not broken, why fix it? For a team that has already won the WAFCON, the Banyana Banyana know a thing or two about how to excel at tournament football. It is a whole different ball game. Dr Desiree Ellis' outfit are right on cue, efficient in the final third and solid at the back. They have only conceded once – a diagonal header by Tanzania's Opa Clement. Mexico-based midfielder Amogelang Motau, who won the title with South Africa three years ago is in high spirits ahead of the tie against Mali and says, 'The mentality going into this tournament was to take it one game at a time. That is what won us the tournament in 2022. We came in as contenders and our goal is to finish top.' 'Off the field, we are a very solid team. We are going through a transition. We are making it look seamless, but it is not. There's going to be a lot of player rotation. There are new players coming into the team. There are good seniors who are guiding us.' Ellis, who sought rotation against Tanzania making four changes, affirms this and believes that her squad has the character of champions as they try to defend their title. 'No game is easy because they [Mali] know that they are in it as well. We know what we have to do that is very important to us. We want to rotate the ball quicker and be more efficient in the final third.' 'We are working on what we need to learn from the other games and how we need to help each other on the pitch. We want to stay true to who we are because the minute we put the ball on the ground; there will be some very good moments. Getting into the final third with those movements with that quick combination play and that is what we need to do.' Respectful but not scared Facing defending champions can sometimes force an opponent into early submission but not Mali. Les Aigles Dames have been building their confidence from the onset. They are meticulate in the way that they approach games and more importantly, they know how to win. Their opponents – Tanzania (1-0) and Ghana (1-1) will never forget Mali. Even when it looked like both sides were dominating play for the most part, before they knew it, Mali was walking down the tunnel with big smiles on their faces, content and with their chins up. It is the killer instint that is crucial in tournament football. Mali have mastered this. And at the heart of it all is head coach Mohamed Saloum whose evergreen tactics continue to inspire a young and spirited Malian side that is here to write history – slowly but surely. 'We know South Africa very well. They are compact. We think that in this competition as defending champions, they are a tough team to play. Each team has their own philosophy, and we shall rely on our quality. We shall respond accordingly. Did anyone think that Tanzania will draw with South Africa? This is football. We will bring all our leverage to make sure that it works on our side as we chase the first place,' Saloum says with confidence. The last time the two sides faced each other was at the 2018 edition when South Africa edged Mali 2-0 thanks to goals by Thembi Kgatlana and Lebohang Ramalepe. But Saloum believes that his side have since evolved. They have grown in stature and will approach this game with the maturity that it deserves. Yakare Niakaté, who features for Nice in France at club level, says with a composed smile, 'There are two teams in this fixture but for me, there is no favourite team. They [South Africa] are a good team that is competitive and that won the title but we as Mali are here to represent our country and show what we can do. We are here now. We know our quality. We shall do everything possible to gain positives from the game.' Playing in her first ever WAFCON, Niakaté admits that, 'It is a great pleasure to be in the biggest tournament of Africa. We played against Ghana – a big team in Africa, we faced Tanzania who are also coming up now and now, we are going to face the defending champions, this is exactly where I want to be. I want to express myself on the field of play and play against the best teams in Africa.' Mali's best performance was back in 2018 when they reached the semifinals and according to Saloum, they want to get to the podium – better their last result.
CAF
08-07-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Woman Of the Match: Saratou Traore dedicates award to family and Mali
Published: Tuesday, 08 July 2025 They say that the first time is habitually memorable and for Malian defender Saratou Traore, her first ever appearance for Les Aigles Dames at the TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will always hold a special place in her heart and mind. The 22-year-old midfielder, whose tactical awareness, strong passing and dribbling skills stood out on the day against Tanzania in their opening Group C fixture, admitted that this was the stuff of dreams. She has always waited for this chance to play at the continent's biggest showpiece and the result in itself was the icing on the cake. 'I extremely content. I am of course happy that we won the game. We showed immense solidarity as a team to get this result. I am so proud to represent my country Mali at my first WAFCON. For the team, we needed to get these three points so that we can have something ahead of our next game,' Traore said with a beaming face after the game. Hunger to do more Playing after the reigning champions South Africa defeated Ghana 2-0 meant that Mali and Tanzania came into this matchup with their backs against the wall. For the West African side, when Traore found the back of the next in extra time of the first half, that is all they needed to breathe while walking back to the dressing room to strategize on how to collect three points. 'They came back stronger and we expected that but through resilience and laser focus, we made sure we denied them from scoring. That was very important,' Traore added. Traore, who plies her trade for Wuhan Jianghan in the Chinese topflight league, dedicated the award to her family, teammates and all Malians back home and across the world. 'This one is for them. Wearing this jersey in our national colours at this stage is an honour and I do not take it for granted. Thanks to all my teammates for all the support. We have more work to do and we shall continue to make our country proud,' Traore added with a big smile. Mali now sit in second place in Group C, just behind South Africa on goal difference. Les Aigles Dames face Ghana in a West African derby on Friday, July 11 at 5pm (local time) at the Berkane Stadium, Morocco.
