Bamako – Mali

The first elements of promo 1 are found, but the infrastructure is far from over.

This is the entrance to Building 1 of the Academy. The ground is very green but the grass is still tender. No matter the big beginnings take place on the new ground of the Academy.

This is the first tournament of promo 1. Already, these kids have carved a reputation in friendly matches played on Saturday mornings. They face 55 kilos with the possibility to have for each team two elements up to 60 kilos. First trophy won hands down. At the same time, children from Ghana (infrastructure orphans and originally lodged in Bamako) are making their first tournament against 40 kilos and the smallest of the one of Mali are giving them a hand.

We organize a tournament (maximum weight 35kg) to recruit the nucleus of promo 2. Lambert Amuah the loyal lieutenant of the first hour, brought a team from Abidjan with players already handpicked. In September, following this tournament, enter 11 players including 5 from Abidjan to form the core of the second class.

The ground floor of the second building is done. We welcome a dozen kids from various academies (Thailand, Algeria, Ghana, Vietnam, Egypt, Ghana) … Most of them see each other for the first time but in the field, he speaks the same language of the game ” academic”. We note that a greater complicity is established between Algerians and Egyptians while the two national teams come to live encounters at least struck. It is likely that in a few years the international meetings between these two countries will be much more tainted with friendship.

It is the turn of the players and coaches of the Academy of Belgium to spend a month in Bamako. The oppositions are intense and will do good to all this small world. An indoor tour is organized on the go. Belgians discover the harshness of the Dogon country by going to Mopti, the African Venice. But they also discover the power and physical strength of adults making up the Malian teams they meet.
In 2010, we always play barefoot. Many players of the promo one are about to pass the degree 3 and soon they will be able to play eleven with shoes.
Another couple of years and Mali, like Ivory Coast in 2000, will enter another dimension in football with the first residents of the Academy. Ivory Coast’s football history is showing a football which from year to year comes out of this “academic” dimension. One only has to note the serious degradation of the game and the disenchantment of the public towards the local teams, to anticipate what will happen in four years for its national team.

Since August 2007, it’s been three and a half years since the first residents came in and a little over a year since the second class joined them. We have extended the work of the second building in order to recover the few thousand square meters of the slab and to study the cover in the form of a portion of cylinder and our maintenance brigade has been tasked with carrying out the heavy work. These big jobs are underway and the goal is to achieve coverage before the next rainy season. This rain as usual, after the heat of March – April, arrives in May – June and will last until September.

Titularization of the new Project Manager of the Bamako Academy, Frédéric Martin, former French professional player.
In May, JMG announces the partnership with the Paris FC Club. Some players are expected to be part of the first wave of the start: Hamary, Ajao, Souley, Adama Taoré “Noss”, Gbakle and Youssouf Koné.
In the same month, some players decided to leave the Academy under pressure from some agents. Gbakle will be the first, Youssouf will follow and to the general surprise Adama Traoré will join them.
The others do not give in to the pressure.

Hamary, Ajao and Souley leave the African continent for the European continent. On the way to the capital of France and join the Parisian club Paris FC, with other academics retained in the Academy of Algiers.

Provision of the first players of the Bamako Academy, to the partner club Réal de Bamako: Diadié, Doumbia Moussa, Makan, Ba Koffi, Moussa Ballo, Camara Aboubacar, Doumbia Aboubacar, Kassé Adama, Diallo Djibril, Souleymane Diarra, Traoré Aboubacar.
Recruitment tournament from June to December of the promotion 4. The JMG Coach will give the final list in December, 9 players are selected: Yeoh, Djambou, Baden, Diabaté, Konaté, Diarra, Traoré, Keita, Diallo Aboubacar.

In January, promotion 4 officially enters the Academy. 2 players will join this promotion during this month of January: Kone (injured during the previous training camp) and Doumbia Mahamadou.
During this year, Doumbia Moussa, playing at the Réal de Bamako, is transferred to Russia in the Rostov club.
In September, promotion 2 is made available at Real de Bamako: Bissouma, Zohi, Doussé, Kouamé, Sangaré and Amadou Keita “Baba”.
In November visit of the Ghana Class 2.

April-May : Due to the hot weather, the academicians of Class 3 and 4 leave Mali for the Ghana Academy. They will stay there for a month.
Mali U20 with 6 academics: Diadié, Adama Traoré, Youssouf Koné, Gbakle, Doumbia Aboubacar and Diarra Souleymane are participating in the world and the CAN. They will finish third in these 2 competitions.
Adama Traoré is voted best player in the U20 world.
Following Diadié is transferred to Red Bull Salzburg, he will be a good ambassador, others will follow in his footsteps in Austria.
Mali U17 African champion goes with Haidara Amadou to the world championship. They finished second in the tournament.
Upon his return, he joined the promotion 2 and 3 group that went to participate in the Challenge Africa Tournament with the captain’s armband.
The tournament will be won by the Academy and Salam will win the trophy for the best player of the competition.

Bissouma and Kouamé are transferred to LOSC.
Haidara Amadou is transferred to Red Bull Salzburg.
In September, the academicians of Ghana, class 3, arrived in Bamako definitively following the closure of the Accra Academy. Their coach Christophe accompanies them and will continue the academy adventure as an assistant in Bamako.
Diabis, a former resident of the Abidjan Academy, one of the pioneers who had already worked in various academies (in Lierse and Cairo) joined the management team.

Zohi is transferred from Real de Bamako to RC Strasbourg.
Doumbia Aboubacar is transferred to AS Poissy.
Mali U17 is African champion with 5 academics: Camara Mohamed, Kané Ibrahim, Doucouré, Salam and Lassana N’Diaye.
Doussé and Sangaré leave on loan from Réal de Bamako to Algeria.
Recruitment of promotion 6 begins in June and will be validated on 30 September. 11 players are selected: Koné Hassane, Togola, Diop, Dembele, Sissoko, Bouné, Razak, Makolou, Diarra Aboubacar, Koné Sekou, Koné Ismaël.
Alain Guillou retired from the Academy and returned to his native Brittany.

Camara Mohamed and Doucouré Cheick Oumar, who joined Réal de Bamako almost two years earlier, signed respectively at Red Bull Salzbourg and RC Lens.

In July Addou Salam Ag Jiddou was officially announced as an AS Monaco player. In the meantime, Hady Sangaré signed for Standard de Liège. Ibrahim Kané joins the Ukrainian club Vorskla Paltava in the Europa League in the same group as Arsenal, although he had obviously more interesting opportunities, but it was the player’s first choice.
Mamadou Salia Sacko international U17 having unfortunately not had the opportunity to participate in the CAN World Cup with Mali signed to AS Poissy after a test of about two weeks.
Dousse Kodjo after a fairly successful season with the DRBT signed with MC Oran.
Lucien Zohi is confirmed with the pro group of the RSCA and is beginning to make his mark on the front line of the Alsatian attack.
Aboubacar Doumbia is confirmed at AS Poissy after a season with the club but unfortunately injures his knee after a very promising start to the season.
Sangaré and Makan are returning from their respective loans to return to Real de Bamako in the hope of having a great season and another opportunity.
Issa Keita, with recurrent and persistent pain to the abductors, will have two stays in France to be treated. These stays have obviously allowed him to regain his health. It remains for him to regain the fullness of his means to hope for an opportunity this time more successful after a difficult season in 2017 with the RCSA.
Folarin leaves Real de Bamako for the Londe club in France.

6 academician players U17: Djambou, Dorgelès, Kamory, Thiam, Doauda, Saiba are selected with the Malian team. Unfortunately, the eagles did not qualify, having been beaten in the semi-finals by Guinea. One of the most promising and most promising Malian team players, on average younger; unfortunately, the latter will not have the opportunity to defend the title.

The Salzburg Internship offered since May by Red Bull Salzburg has become a reality.
A two-week stay is organized in Senegal to introduce visas at the Austrian Embassy. Good preparation is carried out on site with friendly matches organised and delivered against Darou Salam, Challenge Academie and Generation Football.
On the morning of 16 October the group flew from Bamako to Munich and then Salzburg. Training and friendly matches are held at the Red Bull Academy with and against Liefering, the Red Bull U18s and Munich 1860 between 17 October and 29 October.