Mali’s Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma, slated to be one of the best players at the Africa Cup of Nations, could almost single-handedly sound Bafana Bafana’s death knell on Monday.
The energetic midfielder has been at the heart of Mali’s terrific unbeaten run in their last seven matches across all competitions. They have claimed six wins and one draw since June last year. After this glorious run, they are second in Group I of the CAF World Cup qualifiers.
Mali, playing without Bissouma, turned in a performance of the highest quality in their warm-up friendly two Saturdays ago. They cruised to a 6-2 victory over Guinea-Bissau at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, Mali.
Bissouma feels he is motivated even more than his Mali teammates because he is playing in the country of his birth. Bissouma was born in Issia, a town in western Ivory Coast, in August 1996.
Big money Spurs move
He grew up in Mali and was scouted from the local league by French club Lille. He was signed by Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018 and four years later moved to Spurs in a £30 million (R717 million) deal.
He is highly-rated by Tottenham’s Greek manager Ange Postecoglou, who uses him as an attacking or defensive midfielder.
“It is something that I truly treasure and for me to play a tournament such as the Africa Cup of Nations in a country that I was born in is truly special.
“I hope to do well with my teammates,” said the 27-year-old midfielder.
If Bissouma hits top form, Mali will go far in the tournament and could emerge as contenders for the Afcon title. Mali will kick off their campaign against South Africa on Tuesday.