Alain Giresse, the Les Aigles’ of Mali coach, on Wednesday, released a 23-man list to face the Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly match billed for Rouen, France, on May 27.
In naming the squad, which excluded some of the country’s best, the Frenchman put into consideration the fact that the West Africa country is also scheduled to play South Sudan in a decisive Group C Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on June 3.
Consequently, the coach excluded defender, Youssouf Kone, Toulouse’ midfielder Tongo Doumbia , Nantes’ midfielder, Birama Toure, Udinese’ defender, Molla Wague, and Guingamp’s striker, Sambou Yatabare. They are all ruled out of the tune-up match against Nigeria.
It was, however, reported that some of the excluded players pleaded with the coach to allow them rest after the end of the hectic European seasons.
The players to confront the Super Eagles include goalkeepers Oumar Sissoko (Orleans, France), Djigui Diarra (Stade Malien, Mali) and Aly Yirango (FC Challans, France) The defenders include Maruis Hamed Assako (Eleven Creators, Mali), Hamari Traoré (Reims, France), Ousmane Coulibaly (Platanias, Greece) and Ousseynou Cissé (Beveren-Waaslande, Belgium).
Others are Mohamed Konate (Renaissance Berkane, Morocco), Salif Coulibaly ( TP Mazembe, DR Congo) and Cheick Keita (Virtues Entella, Italy)
The midfielders invited are Mamoutou N’Diaye (Rs Antwerp, Belgium), Yacouba Sylla (Rennes, France), Abdou Traoré (Bordeaux, France), Idrissa Traoré (Vita Club, DR Congo), Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace, England) Abdoulaye Sissoko (Esperance Sportive of Tunisia) and Abdoulaye Traoré (Djoliba AC, Mali) .
The coach also invited the following strikers: Kalifa Coulibaly (Gent, Belgium), Modibo Maiga (Al Nasr Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Abdoulaye Diaby (FC Bruges, Belgium), Cheick Tidiane Diabaté (Bordeaux, France), Moussa Doumbia (Rostov, Russia) and Tiécoro Keita (Paris FC, France).