On Thursday, June 13, 2024, the Malian Football Federation announced the dismissal of head coach Eric Chelle following a string of poor results in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The decision came shortly after Mali’s 0-0 draw against 10-man Madagascar in Johannesburg.
Despite having a numerical advantage in the 16th minute due to a red card for Madagascar, the Eagles failed to score.
Additionally, Mali had previously lost 2-1 to the Black Stars after leading by one goal, further compounding their recent struggles.
“The executive committee of the Malian Football Federation, meeting in extraordinary session today, unanimously decided, with the agreement of the supervisory authority, to end the collaboration between the coach of the National Team Senior, Mr. Eric Sekou Chelle and the federation,” stated the official announcement.
Eric Chelle, 46, has a multicultural background having been born in Ivory Coast to a French father and a Malian mother and growing up in France.
He spent most of his playing career in France and represented Mali internationally, earning five caps between 2004 and 2006.
Chelle was appointed as Mali’s head coach in May 2022.
He led the team to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast earlier this year.
However, despite this accomplishment, there were concerns about Mali’s performance as they failed to maintain their lead against the hosts, who were reduced to 10 players.