CAN-2022: Mohamed Magassouba, an interim that lasts at the head of Mali

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For his players, Mohamed Magassouba is more than a trainer: an adviser, a guide, sometimes even a father. At 64, the Mali coach has won the support of his men and the federation thanks to his experience and his ability to build a team. The African Cup of Nations (CAN) could be that of Mali, a solid outsider in the competition.

A career in Central Africa

Mohamed Magassouba seems to have been born to be a coach. He became so very young, at only 22, when he took the reins of the Hippodrome Sports Association, a club in Bamako, in 1980. He then went abroad to strengthen himself, in particular in the DR Congo. .

In the country of the Leopards, he manages Saint-Éloi Lupopo and the AS Vita club and above all, he lifts the trophy of the late African Cup in 1994 with the Daring club Motema Pembe, at only 36 years old.

A performance that in 1996 opened the doors to the Congolese national team! He twice took the Leopards to the finals of the CAN: in 1998 in Burkina Faso and in 2002 in his homeland of Mali. However, he will never participate. Indeed, each time, the Congolese federation chooses to replace him with the local Louis Watunda for the competition.

After a one-year detour to Gabon, Mohamed Magassouba decides to leave Central Africa, where he will have spent more than fifteen years of his life, to return home. He takes the head of the Malian stadium but the experience is cut short, since the technician will be sacked after only one year of exercise.

Two years of interim at the head of Mali

This will not prevent him from joining the technical staff of the national team of Mali. A position he will never leave, with the exception of a detour to the Jeanne d'Arc club in Dakar in 2010. First national technical director (2010-2015), then interim coach after the departure of Alain Giresse in September 2017.

During his interim coaching career, which officially ended after the AFCON in Egypt, he led 17 matches for a record of four wins, eight draws and five defeats. He hoisted his team to the round of 16 of the African Cup, where the Eagles only conceded a narrow defeat against the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire.

Enough to encourage the Malian federation to definitively give the keys to the truck to Magassouba. He was finally officially appointed coach of Mali after the competition. He makes strong decisions, parting ways with stars Moussa Marega and Yves Bissouma – the latter has however rejoined the group for the competition in Cameroon. For the Malian coach, the collective takes precedence over individualities.

The matches made since taking office prove him right. During the CAN-2022 qualifiers, Mali qualified easily with 4 wins, a draw and a defeat conceded when the team was already qualified.

Even more impressive, during the qualifiers for the World Cup-2022, the Eagles reached the third round easily with 5 wins and a draw, but above all no goal conceded. Two campaigns all the more breathtaking in that Magassouba led them without receiving a salary from the federation for many long months. Another coach would have slammed the door, not him.

Assets to shine

The defense is the key asset of his Mali selection. She had already proven it during CHAN-2021 by only conceding her first goals in the final lost against Morocco. The defender of FC Metz, Aboubacar Kouyaté, the coveted defensive midfielder of RB Leipzig, Amadou Haidara, and that of Al Ahly of Cairo, Aliou Dieng, are among the key elements of the good defensive base of the Eagles.

Mohamed Magassouba can also rely on his deputy, former international Fousseni Diawara, who arrived at the same time as him in 2017. The former Mali star is in charge of managing relations with expatriate players and dual nationals and both form an effective duo in view of the results.

>> To listen to at RFI: episode 6 of Pod'CAN: two little ones in the big leagues

"The Malian selection is progressing day by day because we have started an in-depth construction and developed a fairly solid defensive organization and fluid ball circulation. There remains the finish, but no team is perfect but we are working on it", exposes he on RFI, in the Pod'CAN podcast. "We want to go as far as possible."

For his first match in Cameroon, on January 12, Mohamed Magassouba will meet another local coach, Mondher Kebaier, in charge of Tunisia. Eagles of Mali against Eagles of Carthage, such a duel would have its place at the highest altitude of the competition, on February 6th.

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