Mali won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in a row this year after 2015
Mali won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time in a row this year after 2015. They had a very successful pre-tournament campaign, winning all their warm-up matches in the UAE last month against the hosts, Ghana and the USA. Such has been the hype surrounding Mali, runners up in last year's edition as The Eagles lock horns with Paraguay in the a Group 'B' match at the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul today.
Mali coach Jonas Komla during a pre-match conference yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera year after 2015
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The French colonial nation are strong favourites, but coach Jonas Komla remains strongly grounded. "We're not feeling the pressure. We respect all the teams. We have a positive approach, which is going to help us to do better in the games," he said. Mali have become the flag bearers of the African continent this year, with defending champions Nigeria disqualified due to age fudging.
Asked about the success of the team, Komla said: "The secret is solidarity and working in a group." Besides working in a group, Mali have also made it sure that they are mentally tough for the challenge. "We are working on the mental aspects of the player as well," he added.
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