The second Group B match btwn Mali and Niger

AFCON HISTORY
Best Performance Runners-up - 1972
Champions None
Runners-Up 1972
Third Place 2012
Fourth Place 1994, 2002, 2004


HOW THEY QUALIFIED

The Eagles of Mali qualified for their eighth Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Botswana both home and away. They beat the Zebras 3-0 in Bamako and repeated the dose in Gaborone as they seek to improve upon their third place finish during the last edition in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.


THE COACH - Patrice Carteron
Frenchman Patrice Carteron took over from Alain Girese and he has put together a formidable squad made up of veterans such as Seydo Keita and Adama Coulibally, as well as youngsters including Samba Sow of French side Lens and Djoliba's 19-year-old Salif Coulibally.

He is a strict disciplinarian and tactically efficient as he has guided the Malians to a number of victories since taking over. The players respect him, and his coaching philosophy is thus far paying dividends for the Eagles.

THE CAPTAIN - Seydou Keita


THE STAR PLAYER - Sambou Yatabare


Goalkeepers: Soumbeyla Diakite (Stade Malien), Mamadou Samassa (Guingamp/FRA), Aly Yirango (Djoliba)

Defenders: Adama Coulibaly (Auxerre/FRA), Idrissa Coulibaly (Lekihwiya/QAT), Ousmane Coulibaly (Brest/FRA), Salif Coulibaly (Djoliba), Fousseyni Diawara (Ajaccio/FRA), Mahamadou Ndiaye (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR), Adama Tamboura (Randers/DEN), Molla Wague (Caen/FRA)

Midfielders: Samba Diakite (QPR/ENG), Cheick Fantamady Diarra (Rennes/FRA), Sigamary Diarra (Ajaccio/FRA), Seydou Keita (Aerbin Dalian/CHN), Mohamed Lamine Sissoko (Paris Saint Germain/FRA), Samba Sow (Lens/FRA), Kalilou Traore (Sochaux/FRA), Mahamane Traore (Nice/FRA), Sambou Yatabare (Bastia/FRA)

Strikers: Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Bordeaux/FRA), Modibo Maiga (West Ham/ENG), Mamadou Samassa (Chievo/ITA)


Niger

AFCON HISTORY
Best Performance Round 1 - 2012
Champions None
Runners-Up None
Third Place None
Fourth Place None


HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Niger were among the 16 teams that enjoyed a bye during the first round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying by virtue of their participation at the 2012 edition held in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The Mena were pitted against Guinea in the second and final round, bringing home a rather stimulating 1-0 loss from the away fixture played in Conakry and overturning that deficit by two goals in Niamey during the second leg to clinch their second qualification to the Afcon finals.


THE COACH - Gernot Rohr
Gernot Rohr was hired by the Niger football federation in September 2012 following the departure of Frenchman Rolland Courbis, who was promoted to head the Mena weeks after the end of the 2012 Afcon, where they were defeated 2-0 in their opener by Gabon, then under the management of Rohr.

Rohr’s contract was not renewed after the co-hosts of the 2012 Afcon were knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals, which officials in Libreville said was due to the coach’s incorrect substitutions during the game against Mali and his vision-less style. However, the Niger FA said that the 59-year-old German was the right person to build the country’s football and give the players a wider exposure, which they lacked during their first appearance.


THE CAPTAIN - Moussa Maazou


THE STAR PLAYER - Issoufou Boubacar


Goalkeepers: Moussa Alzouma (Garde Nationale), Daouda Kassaly (Chippa Utd/RSA), Saminou Rabo (Sahel)

Defenders: Ismael Alassane, Kader Amadou and Mohamed Soumaila (Olympic), Mohamed Bachar and Luky James (AS Douane), Mohammed Chikoto (Marsa/TUN), Koffi Dankowa (Zarzis/TUN), Kourouma Fatogoma (Chabab/MAR)

Midfielders: Issoufou Boubacar (clubless), Karim Konate (clubless), Issiakou Koudize (Garde Nationale), Idrissa Laouali (Mangasport/GAB), Amadou Mountari (Le Mans/FRA), Williams N'Gonou (LB 07/SWE), Souleymane Sakou (Olympic), Babacar Talatou (AmaZulu/RSA)

Strikers: Kamilou Daouda (Saoura/ALG), Issoufou Dante (Wydad Fes/MAR), Moussa Maazou (Etoile Sahel/TUN), Modibo Sidibé (clubless).