Preparing for Angola

February 4th, 2009 | By: Brad | 1 Comment »

Things are starting to gear up a bit for the final stage of African qualifiers for South Africa 2010. With Mali’s first game in Group D set for March 28 in Sudan, it’s time for a preparatory friendly.

In Paris on Feb. 10 Mali will meet Angola in what should be a good tune-up for the challenge ahead. We won’t see a full-strength Mali squad but still a very good one. Missing in action will be Mahamadou Diarra who is suffering from an injury to his right knee, and Momo Sissoko who is serving a one-match ban for picking up a second booking in the last stage of World Cup qualification. So, there are your subtractions, but there is an interesting addition to make note of. Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare (pictured) has been given his first call-up to the Mali national side. Born in Mali, Bakary moved to France when he was very young and then to the U.S. when he was a teen. He’s been trying to get his U.S. citizenship and had hopes of playing for the American national team but when he found out that wouldn’t be happening until 2010, he opted to play for Mali. Aside from another annoying case of an African only playing for his birth-country as his “back-up” plan, I’m hoping he can be a key player for the Eagles over the next few months.

Here’s the full squad named for the Angola friendly:

Goakeepers: Mahamadou Sidibé (Etnikos Achnas/Greece), Oumar Sissoko (FC Metz/France)

Defenders: Cédric Kanté (Nice/France), Souleymane Diamouténé (Lecce/Italy), Adama Tamboura (Helsingborg/Sweden), Adama Coulibaly (Auxerre/France), Kalifa Cissé (Reading/England), Eric Sékou Chelle (RC Lens/France), Bakary Soumaré (Chicago Fire/USA)

Midfielders: Seydou Keita (Barcelona/Spain), Sidi Yaya Keita (RC Lens/France), Drissa Diakité (Nice/France), El Hadji Mahamane Traoré (Nice/France), Souleymane Dembélé (Djoliba AC), Sambou Yattabaré (Caen/France)

Strikers: Frédéric Oumar Kanouté (FC Sévilla/Spain), Modibo Maïga (Le Mans/France), Moustapha Yattabaré (Clermont/France) Bakaye Traoré (Amiens/France), Soumaïla Coulibaly (Moenchenglabach/Germany)