ABIDJAN (Côte d’Ivoire) – When it comes to Mali and the FIBA AfroBasket tournament, one question always comes up: When will the men’s team finally break through and return to the podium?
It’s a fair question, rooted in decades of near misses and underwhelming finishes.
While Mali has built a strong legacy in African youth competitions — with both their U16 and U18 squads frequently climbing the podium on both the men’s and women’s sides — the senior men’s team has been stuck in a long drought.
World Ranking Presented by NIKE:
12th (Africa), 83rd (World)
The team has not made it back to the podium since 1972, when Mali clinched bronze at the AfroBasket.
There have been glimpses of hope and promising campaigns, but the final step has always eluded them.
With the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket scheduled from August 12 to 24 in Angola, the time has come once again to ask: Can Mali turn the tide?
They only secured their spot at the last minute, grabbing one of the final tickets during the third and final qualifying window. Now, in Group D alongside Egypt, Uganda, and rivals Senegal, Mali must find form and belief to change the narrative.
Road to Angola 2025
Not many expected Mali to make it this far. Their start to the 2025 qualifiers was rocky. Two opening defeats in November 2024—to DR Congo (72–64) and South Sudan (85–60)—left them gasping for air.
However, a narrow win over Morocco kept a glimmer of hope alive.
February 2025 was do-or-die time. Mali showed up when it mattered. On February 23, they stunned South Sudan 75–70, just one day after losing again to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Still needing one more win to qualify, Mali delivered, clinching their passage to Angola with a convincing 80-65 victory over Morocco.
AfroBasket History
Mali first participated in the AfroBasket tournament in Morocco in 1964. They placed sixth in the six-team tournament. What was their best finish? Bronze in 1972, thanks to a dominant classification win over the Central African Republic (107–74).
Between 1989 and 1999, Mali consistently finished just outside the medals with results of fifth, sixth, and seventh place.
However, they have struggled in recent years, with 15th-place finishes in both 2015 and 2021 being their lowest results ever.
Coaching Staff
Experience runs deep in Mali’s coaching setup. Head coach Alhadji Dicko, who designed Mali’s strategy for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup silver medal, is tasked with maximizing this group's potential.
Dicko is joined by Boubacar Kanouté, a former national team player who appeared in three AfroBasket tournaments (1995, 1997, and 1999), and Abdoulaye Karamoko Coulibaly, who also played in the 1995 AfroBasket tournament.
Key Players
Several names stand out for Mali, but three players in particular played pivotal roles in punching the team’s ticket to Angola:
Aliou Diarra (13.2 points, 10.8 rebounds per game)
Diarra was a double-double machine and Mali’s rock in both qualifying windows. With 13.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, he provided size, presence, and consistency. His 20-point performance against Morocco in the final stretch was crucial.
Siriman Kanoute (13 points, 4.8 rebounds per game)
A product of Mali’s golden youth generation, Kanouté now holds the keys to the offense. A former MVP at the U16 and U18 levels, he’s maturing into the leader the Eagles need.
He delivered across the board during the qualifiers, with standout performances including 15 points and seven steals against South Sudan and 23 points against Morocco.
Ibrahim Djambo (10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds per game)
At 33 years old, Djambo remains an essential piece of the puzzle. The team captain averaged over 31 minutes per game, contributing 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds.
However, it's not just his stats that make him irreplaceable; it's also his basketball IQ, calm leadership, and sheer court presence.
Outlook
Group D at AfroBasket 2025 will be tough. They will face Egypt first, followed by Uganda, and then Senegal. The path ahead is steep.
However, if Mali can summon the grit they showed in February and their core trio performs at their usual level, they might rewrite their AfroBasket story.
After all these years, could Angola be the place where the Eagles finally soar again?
FIBA