Patrick Juillard, Media365, published on Sunday December 21, 2025 at 2:15 p.m.
Central defender Sikou Niakaté, right back Hamari Traoré and midfielder and captain Yves Bissouma are out for Mali’s entry against Zambia on Monday in Group A of CAN 2025.
Launched this Sunday in Rabat with the meeting between Morocco, the organizing country, and the Comoros, group A of CAN 2025 will see Mali face ZambiaMonday (3 p.m.) in Casablanca. For this introduction, the Eagles will not present themselves in full, far from it: their coach, Tom Saintfiet, announced today at a press conference the absences on injury to three usual starters: the central defender Sikou Niakaté (Sporting Braga), the right side Hamari Traore (Paris FC) and midfielder and captain Yves Bissouma (Tottenham).
Summoned while recovering from injury, the latter will hand over his captain’s armband on Monday to his usual midfield partner, Aliou Dieng (Al-Ahly). Hope remains for the future: the former Lille player has resumed collective training and could play against Morocco on December 26, or against the Comoros, three days later.
Saintfiet confident despite absences
Facing the media, the Belgian technician wanted to be confident despite these annoyances. “Mali has always won its first CAN match. Inch’Allah, tomorrow against Zambia, we continue the series »launched Tom Saintfiet.
Earlier in the week, the former Gambia coach took on this risk taking regarding his midfield captain: “In many big tournaments, some players start with injuries and then are the most dangerous [de leur équipe] in the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final. Hakimi is also in Morocco’s list, and there is a reason, because he is one of those great players, who are important. Yves (Bissouma) is my captain, he is important, he is a leader of our team. But we didn’t make this decision alone. Our doctor is in contact with the Tottenham medical staff. We have the assurance that Yves will be ready during the tournament. When the matches become more difficult, we will be happy to have him with us. We need a captain who is present psychologically and then physically. » Mali will still have to wait for that.
(From our special correspondent in Morocco)
Worth a look
