Mali haven't enjoyed many appearances in the African Cup of Nations, but their few participations proved to be valuable. They finished as runners-up in their CAN debut in 1972 but missed competitive football for very long years before making their second appearance in 1994. Mali advanced to the semi-final in 1994 and made the same achievement twice in 2002 and 2004. Their inconsistency in terms of appearances in Africa's premier competition continued as they missed out on a place in the 2006 finals in Egypt. However, they managed to book their berth in the 2008 competition in Ghana and will be looking forward to go beyond the semis for the first time in their history. The prospect of Mali reaching the final is by no means out of the question due to the availability of many stars who can make the difference. Mali do not have high-profile defenders, however, they conceded just once during the CAN qualifying campaign. Liverpool's Mohamed Sissoko and Real Madrid's Mahamadou Diarra are expected to form a formidable partnership in the heart of Mali's midfield. Sevilla's talented playmaker Seydou Keita is a valuable asset for the Eagles with his silky passes behind the opponents' defense. Another Sevilla man, Frederic Kanoute, spreads fear among any backline. He is expected to be partnered by former Ismaili striker and current Lokomotiv Moscow man Dramane Traore. Mali were somehow unlucky to be drawn with Nigeria, Ivory Coast in the ACN. Group B also features minnows Benin. Their experience is incomparable to that of Ivory Coast and Nigeria, who have plenty of aspects to rely on in the competition. They have to battle to earn a qualification to the CAN quarter-finals and try to make it beyond their favorite position as a last-four participant.
Kanoute Star player: Frederic Kanoute Despite France overtures, being born in Lyon and representing Les Blues' under-21 team, Kanoute chose to represent the country of his ancestors. Kanoute excelled with Mali in the 2004 CAN in Tunisia, notching four goals to finish as the tournament's joint top scorer and help his nation to the semis. He began his club career with Olympique Lyon in 1997 before experiencing a new adventure in the Premiership three years later with West Ham United. The 30-year-old was relatively successful during his tenure at Upton Park as he netted 29 goals in 84 appearances to attract the interest of Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs lured him to White Hart Lane in 2003 but his inconsistent displays couldn't help him stay beyond the summer of 2005. In August, Spanish La Liga hopefuls Sevilla acquired his services for 6.5 million Euros. His first season was not that good but he hugely impressed in the 2006/2007 campaign. He scored some crucial goals to help his side reach the King's Cup final and claim the UEFA Cup title for the second successive season. In the Primera Liga, Kanoute scored 21 goals in 32 matches as Sevilla challenged for the title and eventually finished third behind champions Real Madrid and runners-up Barcelona. Coach: Jean-Francois Jodar The 57-year-old boss does not possess a glorious managerial past like some of his counterparts at the 2008 finals. Jodar has mainly worked with youth national teams in France and the United Arab Emirates and even guided his home country to the gold medal at the U-17 World Youth Championships in Trinidad and Tobago in 2001. He took over as coach of Mali in 2006 and did what was needed to guide the team to the African Cup of Nations finals without losing a single game.
