Mali’s head coach Soumaïla Coulibaly has said his team is aiming for a record extending outing as they roll their sleeves towards their opening match at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Algeria 2023 against Burkina Faso on Monday in Annaba.
Mali is one of the few nations along with Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Gambia, to have already lifted the title twice.
Coulibaly and his charges are not satisfied with this record, as they want to write their own history in the tournament by going for a third.
“It’s a competition we’ve won twice but that doesn’t change anything. I didn’t win that as a coach, I didn’t win it as a player. We are here in Annaba to win,” the tactician said as he previewed his side’s game against Burkina Faso.
The former Malian international, says they expect a difficult outing against Burkina Faso, but reiterates his side has eyes firmly fixated on their pre-tournament targets.
“Burkina Faso are like our brothers. In the Youth category, everyone has their chances, but for us, the objective is one; to go all the way and win.”
Skipper Ibrahima Diarra is also optimistic that the players are well versed with the difficulty expected in the tournament, but reiterates they will leave everything on the pitch to win.
“There is no opponent who scares us. We are here to win every match. We will play like in the UFOA playoffs. We are not going to change. We rely on our game plan and don’t worry about the opponent,” the skipper said.