Mali sets targets for Saintfiet successor

The Federation of Mali Football (FEMAFOOT) has set lofty targets for whoever will succeed Tom Saintfiet as the Eagles’ head coach.

FEMAFOOT has started the hunt for a national team coach following the resignation of Sainfiet on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, to close the chapter on a two-year tenure.

In a job vacancy released on Thursday, the federation says interested candidates have until 10 May 2026 to apply for the job.

The suitable candidate will be expected to design and implement an ambitious sports strategy for the national team, select players on merit criteria and lead the team during international matches, including for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and World Cup.

Mali open ‘high-pressure’ vacancy following Tom Saintfiet’s sudden exit

The ideal candidate for the Mali post is expected to have a minimum qualification of either a CAF or UEFA Pro Licence, “significant coaching experience as a high-level head coach, sound knowledge of African and international football and coaching experience at the AFCON finals.”

The advert adds that the federation wants a coach capable of working “in a multicultural and pressured environment, demonstrating integrity, rigour and a high sense of responsibility. Mastery of French is required (knowledge of English is an asset).”

The target for the next Eagles coach will be qualifying for major tournament, such as AFCON and the World Cup finals.

How to Apply for Mali national team job

• By email to: contact@femafoot.online

• Or dropped off at the FEMAFOOT headquarters in Bamako

Submission Deadline: May 10, 2026

Saintfiet officially stepped down as head coach of the Mali national team on Tuesday. He was appointed in August 2024.

The Belgian also managed the Gambian national team from 2018 to 2024, earning a place on the shortlist of the top five coaches of the year on the African continent in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, the former Namibia, Malawi and Zimbabwe coach was the runner-up for the Royal Belgian Football Association’s Coach of the Year award.

Voici la liste des #Aigles 🦅 🇲🇱 convoqués par le sélectionneur, Tom Saintfiet pour la double confrontation #Mali vs #Comores et #Ghana vs #Mali comptant pour les 7e et 8e journées éliminatoires de la Coupe du monde 2026. pic.twitter.com/asenFp7SpA

— FEMAFOOT (@femafoot) August 29, 2025