At 19, Ange Martial Tia has made a remarkable start to international football, scoring in both of his first two appearances for Mali and helping the Aigles claim successive victories.
The Stade de Reims winger marked his first start against Cape Verde by scoring five minutes after kick-off. Set up by Lassine Sinayoko, Tia struck first time beyond Vozinha to register his maiden senior international goal.
The match at the Yirimadio Arena in Bamako fulfilled a long-held ambition. “Since I was with the Under-17s, I have always dreamed of playing for the Mali first team,” he said. “Being able to wear this shirt and represent my country at this level is a huge source of pride.”
Four days later, Tia scored again in Monrovia, securing a 1-0 victory over Liberia. His opening two matches for Mali have therefore produced two goals and two wins.
Progress built through Mali’s youth teams
Tia’s breakthrough follows several years of development with Academie Afrique Football Elite (AFE). He first emerged at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Under-17 tournament in Morocco, where Mali finished fourth, before helping the Aiglonnets win a bronze medal at the Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia later that year.
Across those two competitions, he scored twice and provided two assists in 11 matches. He was also named player of the match in Mali’s semi-final against Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Soumaila Coulibaly, who coached Tia at Under-17 level, believes the teenager’s rapid progress is no surprise.
“He has made a good start in the two matches. He is young and he has talent,” said Coulibaly, while warning against placing excessive pressure on him.
“You have to be patient with young players, even if he has played two good matches. You must not push him too quickly. You have to let him grow.”
Temile Kouadio, known as Coach Charlton and AFE’s technical director, also recognised Tia’s potential early in his development.
“From a young age, you could sense that he had a much better understanding of the game than normal,” he said. Tia joined AFE after a spell with a club in Abidjan and established himself there.
“I am not surprised at all by the level he has today,” Kouadio added. “Very early on, he played in the Malian league, then at an Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations and an Under-17 World Cup.”
His advice is simple: “Martial, beyond being a footballer, is a very, very good person. I would advise him to remain as he is, as he has always been, and to continue improving.”
Tia joined Stade de Reims at the start of 2025, made his Ligue 1 debut in March and later experienced the Coupe de France final against Paris-SG, which the Paris club won 3-0.
Mali manager Anthony Da Silva said he selected Tia because he was “above all, a player who wants to learn and improve”. He also praised the teenager’s tactical intelligence, technical ability and willingness to take responsibility.
“Two matches do not mean he has reached the end of his journey,” Da Silva said. “He still has significant room for improvement. We must support him, avoid rushing the stages and let him grow naturally.”
