The match is on. The first quarter-final of CAN 2025, which will pit Mali against Senegal this Friday, January 9 at the Ibn-Batouta Stadium in Tangier (5 p.m.), will pit two border countries that are particularly historically and culturally linked against each other.
But for Tom Saintfiet, the Belgian coach of the Malian Eagles, there will be no brotherhood on the pitch in Tangier. “It’s going to be a war,” he said this Thursday at a press conference, ensuring that he was not “impressed” by the Lions of Teranga.
“We faced stronger teams than Senegal”
“We are going to face a very strong team, with players who play at a very high level, with big stars. But we are not impressed by that,” he assured. “They are players like my players. My players are also big stars and good players with all the qualities. »
The 52-year-old technician, present on the Mali bench since the summer of 2024, was keen to highlight the record of his players, qualified for the quarter-finals of the continental competition without having won a single match in 90 minutes. “We didn’t lose in this tournament,” recalled Saintfiet, a follower of the glass-half-full philosophy.
“We have a little less chance of scoring goals, but we faced stronger teams than Senegal,” even dared the Eagles coach. “We faced Tunisia and Morocco. It’s different. Everyone is available, everyone is ready. We are not afraid. »
“Between Mali and Senegal, there cannot be war”
Asked about these offensive remarks, Pape Thiaw, the Senegal coach, took up his Malian counterpart on the subject of his warlike lexical field. “For me, it’s a football match, it’s not a war. Between Mali and Senegal, there can be no war. They are brothers, we remain within the framework of football,” said the Lions boss, for whom this quarter-final will inevitably have a particular resonance given its origins.
“For me, it’s like being told to choose between my father and my mother, it’s difficult. My mother is from Mali and my father is Senegalese. So talking about war on a football match, I prefer not to comment. »
