Anthony da Silva, Mali’s head coach, gives a positive first assessment of his start in charge of the Eagles: unbeaten in three games, with a squad almost 70% renewed, according to AfricaFoot.
The French-Portuguese coach, formerly Antonio Conceiçao’s assistant with Cameroon, has yet to lose in the Eagles dugout. Appointed in June 2026 as Mali’s head coach, he gives that assessment in an exclusive interview with AfricaFoot.
Mali’s run produced two wins in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, against Cape Verde (3-1) and then Liberia (1-0), before a friendly draw in Morocco (1-1). “Our first assessment is positive and encouraging,” he told Alexis Billebault, an AfricaFoot journalist.
The head coach also makes no secret of the doubts his appointment may have raised. “It was only normal that there were questions when I was appointed. I am not very well known and I had been Antonio Conceiçao’s assistant with Cameroon,” he admits.
A largely renewed squad
Throughout the interview, Anthony da Silva looked back on the overhaul of the Mali team, where a large part of the squad has changed since his arrival. A transformation that has not stopped the Eagles from stringing together games without defeat under his guidance.
The Eagles’ next outing is the November 2026 international window, devoted to the third and fourth matchdays of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.