Mamadou Sangaré, transferred from Lens to Brentford for a fee estimated at €48m excluding add-ons, is tipped to run the Mali midfield against Rwanda on 13 November in Bamako. The starting spot is not yet official.
Less than four months after his transfer from Lens to Brentford, made official on 1 August 2026, Mamadou Sangaré is expected to feature for Mali in a double-header against Rwanda. The 24-year-old midfielder, a Mali international, is set to start in midfield on Friday 13 November in Bamako (19:00 GMT). The starting spot comes from a probable line-up reported by Mali Actu, in which Sangaré would line up alongside Aliou Dieng and Mahamadou Doumbia.
The stakes are twofold. For Mali, who have six points after two matchdays, the aim is to consolidate their position in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. For Sangaré, the fixture comes after a transfer that made him the most expensive sale in RC Lens’s history, according to the figures reported by L’Équipe.
A record transfer for Lens and Brentford
On 1 August 2026, RC Lens made official the departure of Mamadou Sangaré to Brentford, describing the deal as a record transfer for the Artois club, QuatreTroisTrois reports. L’Équipe put the fee at €48 million excluding add-ons, placing the Mali midfielder at the top of Lens’s sales, ahead of the departures of Loïs Openda to RB Leipzig in summer 2023 and Abdukodir Khusanov to Manchester City in January 2025.
Brentford also presented Sangaré’s arrival as a record for the English club, according to the same source. Signed from Rapid Vienna in summer 2025, the midfielder played 33 matches for Lens, helping the club to second place in Ligue 1 and to Coupe de France glory.
A probable line-up, not a certainty
Against Rwanda, Mali Actu places Sangaré in the midfield trio alongside Aliou Dieng and Mahamadou Doumbia. The set-up is still to be confirmed: no official information backs up the starting spot, and head coach Anthony Da Silva has not been quoted on the matter.
For the player, the call-up marks his return to the national team after his move to England, in a busy schedule. The report gives no statistics on his performances at Brentford.
Rwanda in their sights
Mali host Rwanda on Friday 13 November at 19:00 GMT in Bamako, before travelling to Kigali on 17 November for the return match, according to Sports Mole. With six points after two matchdays, the Eagles go into the double-header aiming to consolidate their campaign.
After this international break, Sangaré will return to Brentford for the club’s upcoming Premier League fixtures.