Mali’s women’s national football team have advanced to the third round of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic qualifiers after producing a remarkable comeback to defeat Benin 6-2 in Bamako.
The Eagles overturned a two-goal aggregate deficit with a commanding performance at the Mamadou-Konaté Stadium on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, securing a 7-5 aggregate victory over Benin’s Amazons.
The result keeps Mali in contention for one of the two African qualification places available for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles Games.
Having lost the first leg 3-1, Mali needed a strong response on home soil to remain in the competition.
The team delivered, scoring six goals in a thrilling encounter that saw the aggregate advantage swing between the two sides.
Fatoumata Diarra opened the scoring for Mali in the 26th minute, giving the hosts an early boost as they sought to recover from their first-leg setback.
Sarantou Traoré then struck in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-0 on the night and draw the teams level on aggregate, setting up a tense second half.
Mali continued their push after the break, with Agueissa Diarra scoring in the 56th minute to put the Eagles ahead in the tie for the first time.
However, Benin refused to surrender without a fight. Romaine Gandonou scored twice, finding the net in the 67th and 75th minutes to revive the Amazons’ hopes and put them back in a strong position in the contest.
With the tie once again swinging in Benin’s favour, Mali responded with a decisive late attacking spell.
Aïssata Traoré restored Mali’s momentum with a goal in the 79th minute, before Oumou Koné added another two minutes later to strengthen the hosts’ position.
Agueissa Diarra completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 86th minute, sealing a 6-2 victory on the day and confirming Mali’s progress with a 7-5 aggregate triumph.
The comeback represents a significant step in Mali’s bid to qualify for the 2028 Olympic women’s football tournament, as the team continues its pursuit of one of Africa’s two available places.
Mali will now face Senegal in the third round after the Senegalese team secured qualification by eliminating Tunisia.
