Mali coach Tom Saintfiet faces a major setback ahead of the March break, with 13 key players absent from the squad.
Several regular starters from the last Africa Cup of Nations will not be traveling to face Russia on March 31 at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg.
Among those absent are iconic names such as captain Hamari Traoré, Yves Bissouma, El Bilal Touré and Amadou Haïdara.
Lassine Sinayoko, Sikou Niakaté, Néné Dorgelès, Djigui Diarra, Mamadou Sangaré, Woyo Coulibaly, Kamory Doumbia, Mohamed Camara, and Lassana Coulibaly round out this long list of absentees, for various reasons.
The training camp will begin on Thursday, March 26, in Russia, and this wave of absences gives the head coach the opportunity to test new options.
N’golo Traoré, Ibrahima Cissé, Cheick Oumar Konaté, Alpha Sissoko, Soumaila Diabaté, Moussa Diakité, Mamadou Maïga, Kalidou Sidibé, Ousmane Diakité, Wilson Samaké, and Harouna Camara have been called up to bolster the squad and make up for the absences.
The match against Russia will be a true test for Tom Saintfiet, who aims to assess his squad’s defensive and offensive capabilities while beginning to build a new team for upcoming competitions.
