Once again, Stephen Keshi is linked with an African national team as being the next coach to be named. A few weeks ago I was under the impression that Keshi was still the coach of the Togolese team but since then it seems he’s been linked with every West African country except Togo. Ok, that’s an exaggeration. However, it was just a few weeks ago when the Nigerian was the front runner to be named the next coach of the Super Eagles. I personally think the Nigerian FA was foolish to not go with Keshi as their head man but they chose to pass.

Now it appears that the Eagles of Mali are about to name Keshi as their skipper. If they do go with the former Togo boss, then Keshi will have a chance to take a West African country to their first World Cup appearance for the second straight time after accomplishing that feat with Togo in 2006. I think whoever ends up with Keshi will have made a good decision and if it can’t be my boys from Togo than I guess Mali is the next best option.

It seems a little strange that someone not born in Africa could win this award, but Kanoute’s father is from Mali and Freddy seems to be all about Mali now even though he played for his native France as a junior international until 2004. After receiving the award he said, “I dedicate this to my family, who could not be here and to the people of Mali.” He also stated, “I believe that sport can be used as a tool for development in Africa.”

This is good for Mali and good for Kanoute as he will play a major role in Mali’s attempts to qualify for South Africa 2010.

In honour of this award for Freddy, here’s a video compilation I found. It’s an older one from when Kanoute was with Tottenham but has some great highlights. By the way, I bet no one is happier than Sevilla to have seen Mali eliminated…welcome back Keita and Kanoute.

It’s one thing when a team plays their best and still gets beaten, but with Mali I got the feeling that we never saw them at their best and it leaves me wanting more.

Elephants-3 Eagles-0
Unfortunately the live online feeds I had streamed for all the other games so far in this tournament decided to go on the fritz for Tuesdays games so I was unable to watch even a second of this match. However, based on what I read in Daryl’s LiveBlog of the game, it was a pretty poor showing for Mali and with Drogba’s early goal, the result never seemed in doubt. Even though only a draw or even a late goal in defeat would have been enough to push the Eagles through to the quarters, they were unable to put up much of a fight and the better team definitely looked like the better team. Any pre-match thoughts of the 2 French coaches cooperating and playing nice to earn a draw ended up being at best, misguided opinions.

Let’s point some fingers
There’s plenty of blame to go around here so let’s dish some out. First we must start with the man in charge, Jean-François Jodar. Now to be fair, I must first say that I was giving him a lot of credit for how Mali played in the first two matches. It seems like he worked out a good game plan and the team seemed well-prepared to execute that plan. However in the third match it all fell apart. The team seemed unmotivated to play in a game that they needed a result from. They seemed to be content to sit back for the draw which would have been fine if Cote d’Ivoire was taking that same approach. And what was with the half-time substitution of Freddy Kanoute? In needing a goal one would expect to see the star striker remain on the pitch, no? Maybe there is an explanation yet to come such as an injury or a feud with the coach but that remains to be seen. In some post-match interviews Jodar gave the impression that he was convinced that the Elephants were going to rest Drogba and other players who had already picked up yellow cards. That was partially true as Arouna Dindane and Arthur Boka were absent, however Drogba was there and was key in the victory. Seems to be a case of Jodar mis-reading the hand of his opponents and taking the outcome for granted. That, for a coach, is unacceptable. And why not bring back the same lineup (albeit minus Mahamadou Diarra) that was pretty effective against Nigeria? Something tells me the 3rd and crucial group stage match was not the place to introduce players that had little or no playing time in the first two games.

The players must be held responsible as well. They simply did not show up. Captain Diarra was absent because of two yellow cards (cheap ones I might add), and what about Momo Sissoko taking a trip away from the team to sign his new contract with Juventus? Was that necessary? Especially right before a key match. Reminds me of when NBA star Vince Carter split for his graduation right before a do-or-die playoff game in 2001. And as far as Kanoute goes, he looked very little like a world-class star throughout this whole tournament. He played alright at times but to me just looked too nonchalant and dispassionate. Is he not motivated enough to represent his country? We’ll see how he shows up for the World Cup qualifying.

The Bottom Line
Let’s get down to brass tacks, Mali blew it. They had a chance to cruise in to the quarters and they flat out didn’t show up. I’m sure they have left all their fans back home pretty disappointed and wondering what’s next as they now turn their focus to WC 2010 qualifying. It’s a team I still will be following and rooting for in the coming years if simply for the fact that it seems they have some great potential yet to be realized.

The plot line
With both teams only needing a draw to secure their place, might we see a pretty tame affair with both teams doing their level-best to secure a 0-0 scoreline? On the other hand, the Elephants can’t take Mali lightly because an Eagle win would give them first in the group and a more favourable quarter-final opponent of Feindouno-less Guinea. By the same token, if Mali eases up too much they could find themselves on the losing end and risk giving up their spot in the next round to Nigeria. So, will the teams find a way to walk the fine line of a casual, friendly draw, or will we see a game with both teams going for the win? Time will tell.

The history
If my french is up to speed, than what I’ve been reading about the past encounters of Mali and Cote d’Ivoire is kind of scary. In reading the local Mali website, it seems that Mali have only been able to pull out 2 victories and 5 draws in 20 previous matches against their West African rival. Not good, not good at all.

The players
More important than who’s playing might well be who’s not playing. The well-publicized injury of Kolo Toure will keep him out of todays match and maybe the next one as well. Also, it appears that Abdoulaye Méité has accrued two yellow cards and will be out for the game against Mali. Similarly, Mali midfielder and captain Mahamadou Diarra has 2 yellows in 2 games and will be AWOL as well. And then there is Momo Sissoko (pictured). He didn’t play at all in the first game and then started in the second and at times looked pretty good. But over the weekend he had a whirlwind trip to Italy and back to complete his transfer to Juventus. Apparently he arrived back in Ghana on Monday and should be ready to go for Tuesday’s match. It will be interesting to see the 11 Elephants that take the field, and how long certain stars (ie. Drogba) stay on the pitch. Other than the absence of Diarra, I expect to see the same Mali line-up that drew Nigeria, with Bassala Toure possibly taking Diarra’s spot.

The outcome
You know what? Let’s just be bold here and predict the unthinkable. I’m taking the Eagles to pull a stunner and defeat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 and take top spot. Why not? I have a hard time cheering against the Elephants but all the same, I want Mali to qualify and to do well. And wow, wouldn’t Ghana vs. Cote d’Ivoire be just about the best quarter-final match-up ever?

What a great game, at least from my perspective. As far as 0-0 draws go, this was a pretty entertaining one. From the outset you could feel the drama and pressure as African giants Nigeria were up against the wall facing possible elimination at the hands of a growing African football presence in Mali. For the most part it was a fairly even game with both teams having quality scoring chances, albeit Nigeria having more close calls and shots on target. Although Mali needed only a draw to position themselves favorably for advancement, they still had no problems taking the game to the “Super” Eagles at times and looked comfortable doing it. Rather than bore you with a long essay like recap of the game, I am going to choose a more bullet like format and intersperse some pictures so as not to bore those of us that like to read books that have pictures. (I am counting myself in that number)

A pressure cooker
Right from the opening kick-off you could almost feel the pressure that Nigeria was under. At certain times you could actually see large knapsacks strapped on the backs of the Super Eagles players that were labeled “Hopes of a Nation”. Naturally these heavy backpacks slowed the players down and caused them to make mistakes and decisions that they wouldn’t have otherwise made. Conversely, the Eagles of Mali looked calm, cool, and collected. They faced no pressure and seemed quite happy to let the Nigerians run around with those heavy knapsacks on as I didn’t once see a Malian offer to help a Nigerian with his heavy load.

Contrasting gameplans
It also was quite apparent from the outset that we would see two differing styles of play. Nigeria seemed content to knock the ball long and have their players chase it down. On the other hand, Mali took the slow, patient build up approach. This fit right in with the idea that it was one team tense and under pressure vs. the other team comfortable and confident and able to work the ball around and try and create scoring chances gradually. I want to give credit to the coach and the players of Mali for working out a gameplan and sticking to it almost to perfection. They never panicked but just stuck to the system. They also found a weakness down Nigeria’s left side and exploited Nwaneri multiple times.

The big man coming into form
After a pretty average and unimpressive performance in the game against Benin, Freddy Kanoute looked much more like himself in this game. He was much stronger on the ball, didn’t give it away nearly as easily as against Benin and was causing problems for the Nigerian defence that the Beninois defenders never really had to deal with. So yes, Kanoute played better in the game where he didn’t score then in the one where he did. Strange but true. Here’s hoping that Freddy continues to get better with each and every game going forward.

Blessing in disguise?
After picking up a silly yellow card for taking an early free kick against Benin, Mahamadou Diarra was in danger of picking up a second yellow thus putting him out of action for the next game. That fear became a reality when Diarra was carded in the second half and therefore automatically out for the match against Cote d’Ivoire. Horror. Tragedy. Awful. Actually, I think that was the perfect time for Diarra to get his second yellow card. Follow my reasoning…Diarra will miss the next game in which the Eagles only need a draw against a team of Elephants that also only need a draw and hopefully will rest some of their players, at least for part of the game. What if Diarra hadn’t picked up the yellow against Nigeria and instead picked it up against Cote d’Ivoire and was forced to miss the possible first knock-out game which will probably be against hosts Ghana? Now that would be tragic. So, all things considered, good yellow card Mahamadou, get some rest ’cause we will need you against Ghana. (Knock on wood)

Hero’s of the game
Without the incredible play of stars Freddy Kanoute, Mahamadou Diarra, and Seydou Keita Mali would have lost this game, right? Wrong. Kanoute did play well, Keita had his moments (including an 82nd minute strike of the woodworks), and Diarra was alright but pretty quiet. The real key players in this draw? Try Adama Tamboura (pictured to the left), Amadou Sidibe, and Cedric Kante. When the stars can be ordinary and the ordinary can step up their game, that bodes very well for the Eagles future. Tamboura played well in the back and also made some nice runs into the offensive end and Sidibe was playing games with Nwaneri all game on the left side and often looked dangerous in pushing the play forward into the attacking third. More on Kante in a moment. But without a doubt, the role players for Mali played great and are largely to be thanked for the end result.

Liverpools forgotten man
After missing the first game, Momo Sissoko was in the starting lineup against Nigeria. Amidst a rough season at Anfield and a rumoured move to Juventus, Sissoko looks to be ready to be a contributer for this Mali side. Although he got winded and looked very tired as the second half dragged on, he had some good moments in the first half and overall played a strong game. If he continues to round into form then Mali will have one of the best midfields going forward comprised of Sissoko, Diarra, Keita, and the aforementioned Amadou Sidibe.

Man of the match
As far as I’m concerned that honour should go to Cedric Kante (pictured below). The man was a rock in the middle of the back line. I should have been keeping track, but I would guess that he came out on top in about 80-90 percent of the one on one battles for the ball, whether in the air or on the ground. He did almost give up a goal when his back pass to keeper Mahamadou Sidibe was a little short, but other than that, he played a great game and deserves a lot of the credit for holding Nigeria scoreless.

On deck
The last game of the group stage for the Eagles of Mali will be against Cote d’Ivoire on Tuesday. With both teams only needing a draw to advance and, as I read somewhere else, “politely” send Nigeria packing, what are we to expect? Will either team go for the win? Cote di’voire can’t afford to sit back (which I don’t think is in their vocabulary anyways) because if Mali wins the Eagles will take first place and that is key because the second place finisher will likely get the daunting task of facing the host Black Stars. My vote is that the teams decide to just play a friendly game of monkey in the middle or keep-away and let the game finish 0-0. But hey, who am I to tell them how to play?

In case you missed the game, here’s a small highlight package. ‘Cause hey, if you were good enough to read all the way to this point then you deserve a video reward. Enjoy.

For my boys from Mali, they will most likely need to defeat either Nigeria or Cote d’Ivoire to prolong their stay in Ghana. And with all due respect to Nigeria my friend Emmanuel over at the Nigeria blog, this seems to be the game that is the most winnable. Cote d’Ivoire I feel is too strong and most likely will top the group, leaving Nigeria and Mali to battle it out for second.

In recent ACN memory Nigeria has held Mali’s number, defeating them 1-0 in 2002 and 2-1 in 2004.

Don’t look for too many changes to the Mali lineup that defeated Benin in game 1. One of the questions is will Liverpool man Momo Sissoko see any action or will he be again the victim of too many other players that fit in the lineup better than he does? I’m also wondering if we will see Mamadi Sidibe start up front with Kanoute in place of Dramane Traore who didn’t really assert himself all that well against Benin and was substituted for in the 55th minute. Also, aside from the penalty, Freddy was pretty quiet against Benin and will need to be much more of a presence against Nigeria.

So, bring on the Super Eagles. Should be a great game as both teams fight for their ACN lives.

And then there is Mali…

In the post game press conference, Mali coach Jean-Francois Todar admitted that his Eagles also succumbed to nerves in game 1. A relieved Todar said, “We were a bit stressed but that is normal in the first game of the competition.” Overall though he was happy with the result and pleased with what he saw from his team. ““We have three points and this is what matters, we are on the right path,” he went on to say.

Seydou Keita also weighed in with his post-match thoughts. He was happy with the Eagles performance and specifically with the unity he sensed on the team. Keita said, “There was a lot of solidarity in the team. We saw it when Benin were close to coming back (into the match) in the last minutes. If you want to go all the way in the African Nations Cup, solidarity is an essential thing.”

Here’s hoping that the nerves and jitters were all shaken out of the system in the first game because we can’t afford to have them lingering around against either the Elephants or Super Eagles.

This game had a little bit of everything from a power outage just before kick-off, to some pre-game line-up drama, and how about a fresh face in the uniform game.

The fashion file
After seeing virutally identical Puma kits with the only difference being team colour from the likes of Namibia, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana, the Mali uniforms brought something new to the game from much talked about manufacturer, Airness. While Laurie is crazy about the new kits, I can take ‘em or leave ‘em but they are growing on me.

A moment of pre-game panic
Before the game even started, the African channel I was streaming mentioned in the pre-match show that Kanoute wasn’t in the starting line-up. Would coach Jean-Francois Jodar even consider not starting the star Sevilla striker? Well, whether he considered it or not, it was apparently a faulty scoop by the TV station and Kanoute was where he should be, in the line-up. Another surprise though was Liverpool’s Momo Sissoko being omitted from the starting 11. Whether he is injured or just continuing his poor form is unclear, we’ll have to wait for the next game to see what happens with him.

Who turned the lights out?
Then there was the unfortunate power outage. With the anthems played and the hand-shakes taking place suddenly the lights went out. Pitch blackness (no pun intended…honestly) ensued until gradually some lights started to go on in other parts of the stadium but the most important lights, those being of the flood variety, stayed off for a good 10-15 minutes. Maybe that’s what caused Mali and Benin to be out of rhythm for the rest of the game…

Ho-hum
The match itself really didn’t carry all that much drama. Benin seemed content to sit back and absorb the pressure and let Mali come at them, almost as if they were playing for a 0-0 draw. That was all fine and good until a penalty was given and Kanoute gave the Eagles the breakthrough they needed.

The Squirrels had moments of decent attacking and threatened the goal a few times but overall, Mali was fairly in control from start to finish. Not the kind of game that would produce a result against Nigeria or Cote d’Ivoire, but good enough for today. If you are itching for some highlights, have at it.

So how does the Mali team look going forward? Well, they weren’t at their best, and didn’t look like a team that can progress from this group, but that being said, they got the result they needed and now can prepare for the 2 giants.

Keep your eyes on…
A couple things to watch for going forward…Aside from the penalty kick, Freddy Kanoute was quiet and looked largely unimpressive…that won’t do against other opponents. Also, Mahamadou Diarra picked up a yellow card for taking a free kick too early. A cheap yellow card that could prove costly if, lets say, he picks up a second aginst Nigeria and is forced to miss what should be a huge game against Cote d’Ivoire. And did Mali look a little sluggish ’cause they were playing down to their opponents? How will they come out against the Super Eagles?

That’s a wrap
It wasn’t pretty but it was necessary. Game one can’t be considered anything less than a success. Barely a success, but a success none the less. Here are a few photo’s I took while i was at the game: (actually I just snaked them from fifa.com but whatever)

When: 1930h GMT

Where: Sekondi, Ghana

The opponent: The Squirrels of Benin. Needless to say, Benin shouldn’t really bring any surprises to the game against Mali. The two West African sides are quite familiar with each other after qualifying for the ACN from the same group at the expense of my beloved Togo. The two meetings between the teams both ended in draws, 1-1 in March 2007, and 0-0 in June 2007. So Benin is a pretty equal opponent, right? Well, looking at the squad list on paper one would think that the Squirrels are over-matched but small West African nations should never be under-estimated, isn’t that right France?

But I digress…all that to say that Mali could pay a big price for looking past Benin. With two giants lurking in the next two games, Mali needs to stay focused on the threat Benin poses. Although Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire are the giants to be slayed, the Squirrels could in fact be the ones to keep Mali from progressing.

Possible starting 11: This is going to be total guesswork on my part as I am learning about Mali on the fly and man is it hard to find information on the internet about this team. So, if you have any thoughts or insight on a possible formation and/or starting eleven, by all means let me know. For the sake of argument and simplicity I’m going to give my opinion on who the starting eleven will be and wait till tomorrow to see what formation they use.

In goal I’m going with the experience of Mohamadou Sidibe, although the younger Soumbeyla Diakite could supplant him.

The back four should look something like this: Adama Coulibaly and Cédric Kanté in the middle with Moussa Coulibaly and Sammy Traore possibly completing the quartet.

The midfield is a definite strength of this squad with Momo Sissoko and Mahamadou Diarra anchoring the middle and Seydou Keita on the right and possibly veteran since ‘93, Bassala Toure. If skipper Jean-Francois Jodar decides to go with youth over experience than we will see Drissa Diakité instead of Toure.

Up front the man is undoubtedly Freddy Kanoute. His partner will either be Dramane Traore who notched 3 of the 4 Mali goals in recent friendlies against Senegal and Algeria, or Mamady Sidibe who partnered successfully with Kanoute in qualification.

Keys to the game: This isn’t rocket science, Mali need their stars to be at their best. The question I have is which defensive team will show up: the one who only conceded one goal in six qualifying games or the one that gave up 7 goals in three games to Senegal, Algeria, and Egypt? Hopefully the former as you would think this team won’t have any problem generating offense. The strong offensive African teams often struggle with defensive lapses and paying attention to the counter-attack, as witnessed by Ghana who controlled the game against Guinea but at times looked shaky on the back end and almost didn’t come away with the 3 points…Mali can’t afford to fall into that category.

Necessary Outcome: Anything less than 3 points for Mali will be a big disappointment and make it very difficult for them to progress from a very difficult group.

Predicted Outcome: Call me optimistic but I think Mali will play a strong game and get goals from Keita and Kanoute en route to a 2-0 victory.

Have a quick read of this article to see what Kanoute and Romauld Boco had to see heading into Monday’s first game.

What say ye?

Is it possible that this is what we’ll see Momo, Frederic, and Mahamadou wearing come tomorrow in Ghana? Does anyone like this shirt? Maybe it’s just me that thinks this looks like it’s from the 70’s or 80’s. Here’s hoping that what we see tomorrow is more like what Cedric Kante is sporting below.