The international break in June is far from smooth sailing for Mali. After their last-minute defeat to Ghana (1-2) in the 3rd round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Eric Chelle’s men are set to face Madagascar this Tuesday in a relocated match in Johannesburg, due to a lack of an approved stadium in Madagascar.
Madagascar seems to be an attainable opponent for the Malians, except they are encountering numerous difficulties in reaching South Africa to prepare for the match. Due to weather conditions, the Eagles’ flight has already been postponed three times. Only on Monday will they finally be able to take off. However, even the originally planned direct flight, which was supposed to last 7 hours, has been canceled. The delegation now has to take a connecting flight through Ethiopia, significantly prolonging their travel time.
While they were supposed to arrive in South Africa at least 24 hours before kickoff, Amadou Haïdara’s teammates are expected to arrive at around 4-5 am GMT on Tuesday, while the match is scheduled to start at 1 pm. This seriously compromises the players’ physical condition and recovery time, especially considering their current 4th place standing, where a victory is now imperative.
