Anthony Da Silva, Mali’s head coach, will announce his squad in Bamako on 2 November for the matches against Rwanda on 13 and 17 November. The two games count towards matchdays three and four of qualifying for AFCON 2027.
Mali are heading into a tight sequence in qualifying for AFCON 2027. According to Dailysports.net, the Eagles host Rwanda at home on 13 November 2026, then travel four days later, on 17 November, for the return match.
Before those two games, the head coach will unveil his squad at a press conference in Bamako on Monday 2 November. Until then, no major clue has emerged about the make-up of the group, which could feature both returns and absences.
Two wins apiece
Mali have won their first two qualifying matches. Rwanda have done the same: they have also won both their games and sit top of Group K, level on points with Mali.
Both teams therefore go into this double-header level on points, with identical records of two wins.
Da Silva under scrutiny over his choices
The 2 November press conference will give Anthony Da Silva a chance to present his choices publicly. The head coach will have to deal with the uncertainty surrounding the group, where both returns and absences are possible, according to Dailysports.net.
No major clue has emerged about the backbone of the team. The squad named in Bamako will therefore provide the first indications of the group selected to face Rwanda, eleven days before the first of those matches.
A tight schedule
The two matches come back to back in the space of just four days: hosting Rwanda on 13 November 2026, then travelling on 17 November. The gap between the two games is therefore short.
The 2 November press conference comes eleven days before the first of those matches, against a Rwandan side level on points with Mali and top of Group K.