Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma has taken a significant step, unfollowing the Malian Football Federation page on Instagram and removing all his pictures donning Mali’s jersey, following his exclusion from the squad by head coach Eric Chelle during the current window.
The 27-year-old participated for the full 90 minutes in just one of Mali’s five matches at the 2023 AFCON. Despite being named on the bench against Burkina Faso in the round of 16, he remained unused and only played 30 minutes in the crucial quarter-finals loss to Ivory Coast.
During the first international window post-AFCON, Chelle opted not to summon Bissouma for Mali’s friendly fixtures against Mauritania and Nigeria.
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When questioned about the reasons behind Bissouma’s omission, Chelle simply stated that it was a matter of choice.
“Like many players, he deserves to be selected, it’s just a choice. In my diamond, there are players right now who are slightly safer. That doesn’t mean he won’t be called again,” Chelle remarked.
Chelle’s remarks didn’t definitively indicate that Bissouma wouldn’t be considered for the national team in the future. Mali boasts numerous central midfield options, including Amadou Haidara, Diadie Samasseko, Aliou Dieng, Kalifa Coulibaly, and Mohamed Camara, among others.
Whether Bissouma will be reinstated into the team remains uncertain, with Mali scheduled to resume competitive action against Ghana in June for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
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