MALI
FIFA Rank: 28
Coach: Patrive Carteron
Captain: Seydou Keita
Nickname: Les Aigles (The Eagles)
Best AFCON finish: Runners-Up (1972)
AFCON 2012 finish: Third-place
AFCON PEDIGREE:
Mali's first appearance at the African Cup of Nations in 1972 was also their most successful.
Only eight teams competed at the event, split into two groups, and the Eagles qualified for the semi-final stage by finishing second in Group A, behind hosts Cameroon.
They beat Zaire 4-3 after extra-time in the semi-finals, but then fell short in the final when Congo beat them 3-2.
After the promising performance in 1972, Mali were in the AFCON wilderness for over 20 years. Their next successful qualifying campaign only came in 1994 where they finished fourth.
In 2002 and 2004, the Eagles managed fourth place again, but were bundled out in the first round in 2008 and 2010.
However, the West Africans made amends in 2012 with their second-best tournament finish. Mali beat Ghana 2-0 in the third-place play-off after having lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast in the semi-finals.
SQUAD OVERVIEW:
Mali's squad is built on players based in France with a host of their 23-man squad plying their trade in that country.
The likes of Fousseiny Diawara and Sigamary Diarra are team-mates at Ajaccio in Ligue 1, where they face Momo Sissoko, Mahamane Traore and Cheick Diabaté (Bordeaux) on a regular basis.
The Eagles will undoubtedly be looking to their inspirational captain Seydou Keita to lead them out of Group B, which also includes Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger.
The 32-year-old, formerly of La Liga giants Barcelona, with whom he won 11 titles, but now playing for Chinese outfit Dalian Aerbin, has 72 caps for Mali with a return of 19 goals for his country.
FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Soumbeyla Diakite (Stade Malien), Mamadou Samassa (Guingamp,), Aly Yirango (Djoliba AC)
Defenders: Adama Coulibaly (AJ Auxerre), Idrissa Coulibaly (Al Lekihwiya), Ousmane Coulibaly (Stade Brest), Salif Coulibaly (Djoliba), Fousseiny Diawara (AJ Ajaccio), Mahamadou Ndiaye (Vitoria Guimaraes), Adama Tamboura (Randers), Molla Wague (SM Caen)
Midfielders: Samba Diakite (Queens Park Rangers), Seydou Keita (Dalian Aerbin), Momo Sissoko (Paris St Germain), Samba Sow (Racing Lens), Kalilou Traore (Sochaux), Mahamane Traore (Nice), Sambou Yatabare (Bastia)
Forwards: Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Girondins Bordeaux), Cheick Fantamady Diarra (Stade Rennes), Sigamary Diarra (AC Ajaccio), Modibo Maiga (West Ham United), Mamadou Samassa (Chievo Verona).
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