Mali: why the league season has been postponed again and again

In September, the Malian Football Federation issued a statement setting the date of the Super Cup, which officially opens the 2023-2024 season. That fixture was scheduled for 20 September, with the first round of league matches on 30 September.

Unfortunately, the planned dates were not kept. The start of the Ligue 1 championship was rescheduled for 7 October. That date did not hold either. After that, the start was set for between 15 and 18 October. It met the same fate as the two earlier dates.

Competition stadiums under renovation

It comes down to infrastructure. That is the simplest way to sum up the postponements suffered by Mali's national Ligue 1 championship. You cannot play a football match without a pitch. And the unavailability of the stadiums, the essential venues where national league matches are played, is the main reason.

The authorities launched a renovation programme covering all the main competition stadiums at the start of the year, and it is now continuing in the regions. The Stade Modibo Keita, where almost all the Bamako clubs' matches are played, has been a building site since last season, and the works are due to finish in the first quarter of the new year. The same goes for the Stade Mamadou Konaté, which is also being renovated to bring it up to international standards.

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The Stade Barema Bocoum, where promoted side Arsenal de Talent Sportif de Koro should in principle host their visitors, will also undergo renovation work. The same applies to the other promoted side, US Bougouba, who cannot play in Koulikoro because the Diarra H stadium will be undergoing works.

In Kita and Bougouni, Union Sportive du Cercle de Kita and US Bougouni are likewise unable to host their opponents at their home grounds. The stadiums of the two regional clubs have not been approved by FEMAFOOT's inspection mission.

The Stade du 26 mars remains the only venue available that meets international standards. It had been planned to stage 240 matches there this season, over the course of 30 rounds involving the 18 competing clubs.

Stade 26 mars closed for work on the pitch

Earlier, the first vice-president of the Malian Football Federation had announced at a federation press conference that the ministry had made the Stade du 26 mars and the Stade Modibo Keita available to them: the first for weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, and the second for midweek. After an unannounced visit, the head of the Sports department realised that it was impossible to hold a match at the Stade Modibo Keita, which was still a building site. After that, all the matches were scheduled at the Stade du 26 mars in Bamako.

As the country's only approved stadium, it must stay available, with the national teams' international fixtures and those of Stade Malien, who are involved in the CAF Cup, fast approaching. The pitch therefore has to be protected. So, following the friendly between Mali and Uganda on 13 October, during which Malian forward Ibrahim Koné suffered a dislocation, the Stade du 26 mars was closed for pitch maintenance ahead of the Eagles' next match there, at home to Chad on 17 November in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Clubs' own stadiums as a fallback

On top of all these difficulties, the federation's official sponsor was also reluctant to release the clubs' first financial instalment, over image concerns.

Finally, after a meeting of FEMAFOOT's Executive Committee held on Wednesday, the start of the Mali championship was rescheduled for 1 November.

While waiting for the stadiums under renovation to become available, some clubs' grounds and the Amary Daou stadium in Ségou will be used, according to a letter from the federation's deputy secretary general to the clubs concerned. The schedule for the first two rounds will be announced separately.

Drissa Niono