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Mali captain Yves Bissouma is still not certain to play ahead of his team’s Group A match against hosts Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025.
The match will take place on Friday at the Stade Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
Bissouma has been dealing with a recent injury, and Mali have not confirmed if he is ready to start. He attended the pre-match press conference on Thursday, but head coach Tom Saintfiet said that does not mean he will play.
“The reason Yves is here today is not that he will necessarily play tomorrow,” Saintfiet explained.
“There is no link between who sits next to me and who starts the match. Maybe he plays, maybe he doesn’t.”
Saintfiet said the team must be careful with player fitness, especially with many matches still to come in the tournament.
Bissouma, meanwhile, declined to be drawn into speculation over his fitness, saying his focus remained firmly on the team.
“What matters to me today is Mali,” he said. “I am here and fully focused on tomorrow’s match. The rest doesn’t concern me.”
Mali are looking for their first win after drawing 1-1 with Zambia in their opening game. Another dropped result could put pressure on their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
Saintfiet said his team must learn from their opening match and stay calm.
“Now, intelligence is more important than emotion. We created problems for ourselves in the first match. This is a long tournament, and we must be smart,” the Belgian coach explained.
Morocco will have strong home support, with more than 60,000 fans expected in the stands. While acknowledging the challenge, Saintfiet said Mali remains ambitious.
“We respect Morocco. We are not arrogant. But we want to win every match,” he said.
Meanwhile, Morocco head coach Walid Regragui also provided a fitness update on his squad. He confirmed defender Romain Saïss has been ruled out after picking up an injury in Morocco’s opening match. However, Nayef Aguerd has been declared fit and is available for selection.
Regragui added that Achraf Hakimi and Hamza Igamane are still recovering, although Hakimi took part in the team’s latest training session.
