In a move designed to steady the ship ahead of crucial qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Malian Football Federation (Femafoot) has appointed Belgian tactician Tom Saintfiet as the new head coach of the national team.
The announcement, made on Wednesday evening, brings an end to weeks of speculation surrounding the vacant position.
Saintfiet, 51, emerged victorious from a shortlist that reportedly included established names like Antonio Conceiçao, Hector Cùper, and Pitso Mosimane.
This appointment marks a significant shift for Saintfiet, who only took the helm of the Philippines national team in February this year after a stint with Gambia.
However, the allure of managing a team with the potential of Mali, a “sleeping giant” in African football, proved too strong to resist.
Saintfiet inherits a team brimming with talent, with players featuring in some of the world’s top leagues.
He will be tasked with not only navigating the upcoming qualifiers against Mozambique (September 6th) and Eswatini (September 9th), but also with achieving ambitious long-term goals set by Femafoot.
These include reaching the semi-finals of AFCON 2025 and securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The Belgian coach is no stranger to African football. He boasts a wealth of experience on the continent, having previously managed national teams in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo, and most notably, Gambia.
His tenure with the Scorpions was particularly successful, culminating in a historic AFCON qualification in 2021 and a remarkable run to the quarter-finals.
Saintfiet’s immediate challenge will be to quickly assess his squad and devise a winning strategy for the upcoming qualifiers.
