Mali coach Da Silva: “With me, attitude is non-negotiable”

Two wins, then a draw: Mali beat Cape Verde (3-1) and Liberia (1-0) in qualifying for AFCON 2027, before holding Morocco to a 1-1 draw in a friendly in Tangier. In this interview with SNA, Anthony Da Silva explains how he wants to build a side that attacks with intent. Competition for places, discipline and managing the difficult spells in a game are central to his project.

“I want a team that dictates the game”

What is your assessment of this first camp in charge of the Eagles?

The results are positive, but I'm mainly interested in what we have built. We won two important games and drew with a very good Morocco side. Above all, we have started to lay some foundations. I don't want results to make us drop our standards, though. We still have plenty to improve, in our play, our behaviour and our mindset. Every camp has to help us progress.

After the 3-1 win over Cape Verde, Mali suffered more in Liberia (1-0). What do you make of that difference in the performance?

Every game has its own reality. You have to adapt to the opposition's characteristics, the conditions and what they throw at you. But adapting doesn't mean giving up our identity. I want a team that can attack with intent, take the initiative and drive the game. Then you need the intelligence to find the best solutions according to the players and the situations.

Is that hard-fought win in Liberia also a sign of a team learning how to win?

Yes. A team that wants to go far has to know how to win in different ways. There will be games where we play very well and create plenty of chances, and others where we will need to be more patient, more solid and accept that we have to suffer. What matters is that we stick to our principles and our discipline. Difficulty must never provoke panic. It must force us to find solutions.

What identity do you want to instil in the Eagles?

I don't want to pick a single word to define our football. I want a team that dictates the game. That means wanting the ball whenever possible, moving up the pitch, pressing when the conditions are right, being able to hurt opponents in transition and, above all, having the desire to play on the front foot. Adapting to the opposition is important, but it must not cost us our personality. We must be able to change the way we play without changing our mentality.

After three matches, do you already have a precise idea of the team you want to build?

I have a very clear idea of the principles I want to put in place. After that, a team is built over time. I want a disciplined, demanding, courageous side, able to take the initiative and attack with intent. But I also want a team built around the strengths of its players. I'm not going to ask a player to do something that doesn't suit his qualities. Our job is to find the best solutions so that everyone can show their potential and feel at ease on the pitch.

“The past earns nobody a place”

What have you learned about your group during this camp?

I have got to know even better the men behind the players. A camp lets you see how people behave day to day, how they live together, how they accept demands and how they respond to competition. That is essential for me. Talent matters, but behaviour, discipline and commitment to the collective matter just as much.

Is the pecking order still open, particularly after the good performances of some newcomers?

It remains open. The past deserves respect, but it earns nobody a place. A player who has featured a lot for the national team deserves respect for what he has achieved, but he must keep proving every day that he deserves his spot. A new player must also be able to win his own through his work. Competition must be healthy. It must lift everyone.

Ange Tia scored on his debut against Cape Verde. What do you take from his performance?

He showed personality and an ability to step up. Scoring on your debut is obviously positive, but I don't want to reduce his contribution to a goal. What interests me is his qualities, what he can bring to the group and the situations in which he can be most effective. After that, it's up to him to keep working. Nobody's place is secure after one good game.

Midfield offers plenty of options, with Amadou Haïdara, Mamadou Sangaré, Kamory Doumbia and Lassana Coulibaly among others. How do you plan to find the right combinations?

That is precisely our responsibility. I don't just want to field the best players individually. I want to find those who, together, give the team the best balance. Each midfielder has his own qualities: some contribute in build-up play, others in getting forward, winning the ball back, breaking lines or operating between the lines. It's up to us to build the partnerships that allow everyone to show what they can do.

“We saw that we could compete”

The draw with Morocco (1-1) in Tangier was a test of a different level. What do you take from it?

That kind of game is very interesting because it lets us measure our standards against a team of the very highest level. We saw that we could compete, but we also identified the areas where we still have to improve. That is exactly the point of these fixtures: knowing where we are and, above all, understanding where we need to go.

Mali had some difficult spells before reacting. Is that ability to come back into the game an important lesson?

Yes, it's an important element. A team cannot control 90 minutes in the same way, especially against an opponent of that calibre. What interests me is our ability to respond without losing our discipline. When we are in trouble, we must remain a team. And when we regain control, we must have the ambition to go on the attack. That collective personality is something I want to develop.

What are the main areas for improvement after these three matches?

I wouldn't talk about concerns, but about areas for improvement. I liked our ability to stay competitive, our mindset and some of our attacking sequences. But we need to improve in managing certain difficult spells, the consistency of our pressing, our efficiency and our ability to control games when we are ahead. The top level is decided by details. We must be demanding about those details.

Four goals scored and just one conceded in the first two qualifying matchdays: are you satisfied with your team's balance?

It's encouraging, but I don't want us to be satisfied with statistics after only two games. I want a team that can defend together and attack together. For me, balance starts with collective behaviour. When we lose the ball, everyone must be involved. When we have it, everyone must offer solutions. Our ambition is to be a team that attacks with intent while maintaining great collective discipline.

“Our ambition has to be high”

With six points from six, can Mali now aim for top spot in their AFCON 2027 qualifying group?

Our duty is to be competitive in every game and to stay true to our goal of qualifying. We have made a good start, but nothing is finished. I'd rather talk about high standards than obligation. Every game must be prepared with the aim of winning it. If we want to reach our objectives, we must keep that discipline, that humility and that ambition right to the end.

What kind of Mali do you want to show the Malian supporters in the coming months?

I want the supporters to recognise a team that reflects them: a team with character, discipline, ambition and generosity. I want a team that dictates the game, attacks with intent, takes the initiative and never gives up. But I also want an intelligent team, able to adapt to situations without losing its identity.

Mali's past must be respected. The players who wrote that history deserve our respect. But the past earns nobody a place. With me, attitude is non-negotiable.

Every player must understand that he is there to serve the collective and that his place is earned through work, performances and behaviour.

How far do you think you can take this team?

I'd rather not set limits today. We will move forward step by step, with very high standards. Our ambition has to be high, but it must always go hand in hand with hard work.

SNA interview