Mali Coach Sacked After Failing To Qualify For World Cup

Mali Football Federation have sacked coach Mohamed Magassouba and his entire staff after staying out of Qatar World Cup 2022.

Mali were surprisingly held to a goalless draw by Tunisia on Tuesday to make it 1-0 on aggregate, and hence failed to make their maiden appearance in World Cup finals.

The Femafoot said “is taking seriously the qualification to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and 2026 World Cup and after the recent poor results drastic changes have been made.”

Magassouba was appointed as Mali coach in September 2017  on interim basis following the resignation of then boss Alain Giresse, who left after a run of bad results left them bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.

The 64-year-old coach couldn’t take the West African nation to the global showpiece in Russia, but guided them to 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He was confirmed as the Eagles head coach in October 2019 after leading his charges to the the last 16 of the Nations Cup in Egypt,where they were eliminated by Ivory Coast.

Magassouba also qualified Mali to the  2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, where they were bundled out at the Round of 16 by Equatorial Guinea.

He started coaching at the age of 22, taking the reins of the Sports Association of the Hippodrome, a Bamako club.

He was previously in-charge  of Saint-Éloi Lupopo, AS Vita club and DC Motema Pembe as well as the coach of the DR Congo national team.