Mali Coach Tom Saintfiet Targets AFCON Semis and World Cup Qualification

Tom Saintfiet During a Press Conference 

Tom Saintfiet, coach of Mali's national team, shares his passion for coaching in Africa and his ambitions for the 2025 AFCON and World Cup qualification.

Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet has expressed his neutrality ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw, stating that he has no preference for the teams his side will face. The draw, set to take place at the Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco, will determine the group placements for the 24 qualified nations.

🏆⚽CAN 2025 - Tirage au sort : Quelles équipes redoutent les Aigles du 🇲🇱Mali ? la réponse du sélectionneur Tom Saintfiet. pic.twitter.com/26PdO0rlmy

— Le journal Afrique TV5MONDE (@JTAtv5monde) January 27, 2025

Saintfiet, a seasoned Belgian coach, emphasized that he is satisfied with any team assigned to his West African squad. “To be honest, I have no expectations. When I was in the previous job (Gambia national team) we really had an idea of who we want to play or not,” Saintfiet told reporters. He noted that his current team, Mali, has a strong lineup, making it easier to motivate the players, regardless of the opponent.

Saintfiet highlighted that every team participating in the AFCON is a good team, and that there are no weak opponents. “I don't think there are weak teams, every team is a good team. Maybe on paper teams like Botswana and Zimbabwe look easier, but sometimes the motivation of players... The focus of players is less when you play against them,” he explained.

Tirage CAN Maroc 2025 : J’ai demandé à Tom Saintfiet, selectionneur du Mali 🇲🇱, s’il a une préférence dans les différents pots. pic.twitter.com/FJiddzTXSQ

— Drissa Niono (@drissaniono) January 27, 2025

The Mali coach reiterated that he is prepared to face any opponent and will focus on preparing his team accordingly. “So for me, I have no expectations. I will look at who we play and afterwards we will prepare, but I'm ready for every opponent,” Saintfiet concluded. His experience in managing various African teams, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo, and Gambia, has likely contributed to his pragmatic approach.

Saintfiet's tenure with the Gambia national team, which spanned from 2018 to 2024, saw him lead the team to the 2021 and 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He is now at the helm of Mali's national team, known as the Eagles of Mali.

Tom Saintfiet, the Belgian coach renowned for transforming lesser-known teams into formidable forces, reflected on his time as coach of Gambia and shared his passion for coaching in Africa. “First of all, I've been in Africa since 2008 as a national team coach, and I absolutely love the continent. I’m married to an African woman and have a beautiful eight-year-old daughter, so I consider myself truly African,” he said.

Saintfiet expressed his deep affection for the African continent, highlighting its vast potential and the people's love for football. “For me, Africa is a beautiful continent. There's so much potential. The people love football, there's so much quality and my aim is always to go to the World Cup and write history there,” he emphasized. He noted that, in the past, he had not had the opportunity to work with countries that could potentially achieve this goal.

Saintfiet fondly recalled his time as coach of Gambia, praising the excellent federation, staff, and team manager he worked with. “My time in Gambia was fantastic. I had the support of an excellent federation, a great staff, and a top-notch team manager. The players were eager to develop and had a lot of quality,” he said. Together, they achieved historic milestones, including reaching the quarter-finals in Cameroon and finishing sixth in Africa.

Mali's journey in the 2024 AFCON ended in the quarter-finals, despite strong performances. Saintfiet, now coaching Mali, shared his ambitions for the upcoming tournament in Morocco. “We really want to go to Africa to play seven matches. Seven matches, it means the final or the loser of the final and the federation already said that we want to reach the semi-final and that's also my ambition and the other goal is still to qualify for the World Cup,” he said.

Saintfiet acknowledged the challenges ahead, as Mali is currently four points behind Comoros and Ghana, and two points behind Madagascar in the World Cup qualifiers. “We have only two home games left and four away games, but I still believe in the quality of my team and we're going to develop the team. I'm now a few months there,” he said, expressing his confidence in his team's abilities.

Saintfiet's coaching career spans over two decades, beginning in the 1997/1998 season. He started with FC Zammel, a club in his home country, before moving to Satellite d'Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire in 2000. This marked the beginning of his African coaching journey, which has since taken him to various countries, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, Togo, Gambia, and now Mali.