The national team completed its training session on Thursday evening, September 5th, at the 26th of March Stadium in Bamako, where they will face Mali in the first match of Group I of the African Cup of Nations – CAN 2025 qualifiers. The training session was an opportunity for the team to familiarize themselves with the stadium that will host the match, scheduled for 9:00 PM.
National Team Coach Chiquinho Conde gave a positive assessment of the last training session, highlighting that the conditions on the pitch are good, although some players reported that the field is slightly heavy. Conde expressed confidence that the team is well prepared for the challenge.
However, the preparation was not without its concerns. Captain Elias Gaspar Pelembe, known as Dominguez, is the only player whose presence for the game against Mali is in doubt. Dominguez is dealing with physical problems in his adductors, which has generated apprehension among the coaching staff. “Unfortunately, there are some setbacks regarding the physical and clinical situation of our captain, Dominguez. He arrived already complaining about his adductors and I'm not sure if he will be able to recover in time,” commented Conde.
The absence of Witi, who is also unavailable for this match, adds a layer of complexity to selecting the best eleven and the game strategy. Despite these challenges, Conde remained optimistic and focused on assembling the best possible team to achieve a good result.
The training session held this Friday, September 6th, coincided with the match time, providing the team with a final adjustment to the stadium conditions. Conde also mentioned the weather conditions, hoping that the rainy weather will not negatively affect the team's performance.
Expectations are high for the match against Mali, and the National Team coach and his players are eager to show their strength in the opening game of the CAN 2025 qualifying phase.
