Africa will cast its eyes to the four nations that will be representing the continent at the Men’s Football event in the Paris 2024 Olympics over the next few weeks, with Egypt, Guinea, Mali and Morocco being the four flag bearers of the continent in the men’s event of the multi-sport event in France.
Mali, who last appeared at the Olympics in 2004 make a second return to the global showpiece with the hope of advancing further than their impressive quarter-final finish exactly 20 years ago.
The West African nation opens their Paris 2024 campaign on Wednesday evening at the Parc des Princes Stadium against Israel at 19h00 GMT where they will be hoping to secure a good start to their Group D battle that also includes Paraguay and Japan.
The young Eagles of Mali are under the tutelage of coach Alou Badra Diallo who’s aim, he says is to go beyond the quarter finals stage that they reached on debut two decades ago.
“My objective is to do better than our quarter-final finish at Athens 2004. I believe they (Mali) are capable of achieving great things”, said the 54-year-old coach who is no stranger to France, having coached the Olympic Lyon Youth side between 2002 – 2003.
A win for Mali would put them in a comfortable position ahead of what is expected to be tougher opposition when they face Japan on Saturday evening, before closing off their group stage fixtures against Paraguay on 30 July.