Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
January 29 – Mali supervisor Tom Saintfiet believes his crew can go all the way in which on the Africa Cup of Nations following a beneficial group stage draw.
Les Aigles will face hosts Morocco, Zambia and Comoros in Group A and Saintfiet thinks Mali can eclipse the quarter-final results of the earlier finals.
“Our ambition is to remain so long as attainable within the match,” Saintfiet instructed Insideworldfootball. “We need to play seven matches, which implies the semi-finals and the ultimate or third-place playoff. That’s our ambition and this draw offers us choices. I see a whole lot of alternatives.”
Mali performed within the ultimate of the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations, however they’ve by no means received the match. They reached the final 4 in 1994, 2002, 2004 and completed third in 2012 and 2013.
“Earlier than the draw, I used to be typically requested if I had a desire or if I wished to keep away from sure groups – I’ve all the time mentioned that we’re able to face anybody,” defined Saintfiet. “There are not any straightforward opponents on the Africa Cup of Nations. We need to go far, so you’ll be able to’t be afraid of anybody.”
The Belgian supervisor arrived in Bamako from The Philippines, however he rose to acclaim with The Gambia when he guided the West African nation to the final eight on the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He couldn’t repeat the feat on the 2023 finals, however Saintfiet, alongside Equatorial Guinea’s Juan Micha, might be simply certainly one of two managers to educate in three consecutive finals.
“It doesn’t occur that usually and that have after all lets you put together your self,” says Saintfiet.
“You recognize a bit how the match goes. You recognize the opponents, you already know the tensions and you may also calculate a bit what that you must progress and which permutations work finest.”
Saintfiet is in search of to qualify with Mali for the World Cup. In Group I, Mali are in fourth on 5 factors, properly behind group leaders Comoros and runners-up Ghana, who each have 9 factors. The group winners clinch a direct ticket to the 2026 match whereas the runners-up may qualify for the playoffs.
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