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Bafana rivals Mali name newcomers in AFCON squad

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Bafana Bafana opponents Mali named uncapped Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Boubacar Traore and Lorient striker Sirine Doucoure in their squad for this month’s African Cup of Nations finals but have been hard hit by injuries.

Traore, who joined Wolves from Metz in France last year after an initial loan spell, has previously played for Mali at junior level, including winning the African under-20 championship in 2019. Doucoure has served mainly as a substitute this season but has one goal in Ligue 1.

Both come in as replacements in a 27-man selection named, ahead of the Wednesday deadline, by coach Eric Chelle, who must do without several key players.

Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure misses out after surgery on an Achilles tendon injury suffered playing in the Premier League in November while Atalanta forward El-Bilal Toure has still not recovered from the thigh injury suffered just weeks after his move to Serie A last season.

Also sidelined are Spanish-based Ibrahima Kone, fullback Massadio Haidara from Racing Lens and former Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo, now at Standard Liege in Belgium.

Mali will play a friendly on Saturday against Guinea-Bissau in Bamako, before heading across the border to Ivory Coast where they will begin their Group E campaign against South Africa on Jan. 16. They will also meet Tunisia and Namibia in the group stage.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Aboubacar Doumbia (Afrique Football Elite), Djigui Diarra (Young Africans), Ismael Diawara (Malmo)

Defenders: Amadou Dante (Sturm Graz), Moussa Diarra (Toulouse), Mamadou Fofana (Amiens), Boubacar Kiki Kouyate (Montpellier), Sikou Niakate (Sporting Braga), Falaye Sacko (Montpellier), Hamari Traore (Stade Rennais)

Midfielders: Yves Bissouma (Tottenham Hotspur), Mohamed Camara (Monaco), Lassana Coulibaly (Salernitana), Aliou Dieng (Al Ahly), Kamory Doumbia (Stade Brest), Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig), Diadie Samassekou (Hoffenheim), Adama ‘Noss’ Traore (Hull City), Boubacar Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Forwards: Fousseni Diabate (Lausanne Sport), Nene Dorgeles (Salzburg), Serine Doucoure (Lorient), Moussa Doumbia (Al Adala), Sekou Koita (Salzburg), Youssoufa Nikaite (Bani Yas), Lassine Sinayoko (AJ Auxerre), Ibrahima Sissoko (Saint Etienne).