Mali and Israel will face off in their opening group-stage match of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament at the Paris 2024 Games on Wednesday evening at the Parc des Princes.
Both nations are aiming to advance from Group D, which also includes Japan and Paraguay.
This will be Mali’s second participation in the Men’s Football Tournament at the Olympics, their first since reaching the quarter-finals in Athens 2004.
They qualified for Paris by reaching the semi-finals and winning the third-place playoff at the 2023 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Guinea 4-3 on penalties. Coach Alou Badra Diallo, who has led Mali’s youth team for two years, brings experience from guiding AS Otoho to the Congolese top-flight title in 2021-22.
Mali’s squad is a blend of creativity and tenacity, with Diallo expressing confidence in their potential to achieve great things.
Mali has prepared for the Olympics with three friendlies this month, securing victories over the Mali Under-20s team (2-0, 1-0) and a 3-0 win against French fourth-tier team Football Club 93 Bobigny.
Israel, competing in their third Olympics and first since 1976, qualified by reaching the semi-finals of the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
They finished second in their group and overcame Georgia on penalties in the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions England in the semi-finals. Coach Guy Luzon, in his second stint with the Israeli youth team, aims to transform the squad into serious contenders.
Despite a challenging year with six consecutive losses, Israel claimed a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Maccabi Petah Tikva in a recent friendly.
Israel’s preparation is overshadowed by geopolitical tensions related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, with heightened security measures for their athletes in Paris following controversial remarks by French MP Thomas Portes and potential pro-Palestinian protests.
Mali’s squad features key players such as Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Boubacar Traore, Bordeaux’s Issouf Sissokho, and Brahima Diarra. Israel’s lineup will be without injured captain and first-choice goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, replaced by Niv Eliasi.
However, they will benefit from the return of Tottenham Hotspur winger Manor Solomon, who has recovered from a serious knee injury and could start alongside Charlotte FC’s Liel Abada and Red Bull Salzburg’s Oscar Gloukh.
A close contest is anticipated, but Mali is expected to edge out Israel with a 2-1 victory.
