Goal Programme - Fédération Malienne de Football - 2005

A nation renowned for its passion for football, Mali has produced a number of talented players over the years. The best-known include Salif Keita «Domingo» and Mamadou Keita «Capi», who both won countless honours at domestic and international level. Impressive performances at the African Cup of Nations (finalists in 1972, semi-finalists in 1994 and 2002) and in various African age-group championships have gone some way to show the extent of Mali's pool of football talent. The Malians also reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Youth Championship 1999 in Nigeria on their way to the bronze medal. Positive moves are also underway in women's football. The number of women players is increasing all the time, and the national association has entered all continental championships, both with and without age restrictions, in recent years.

Having awarded one of the first and most gratifying Goal projects to the Mali football association with new headquarters that opened in Bamako in early 2002, the Goal Bureau approved the construction of a training centre, also located in the country's capital, at its meeting on 17 February 2005. The objective of the new project is to ensure that appropriate facilities are always available for the training sessions, seminars and practical exercises that the association organises primarily for young players.