Tom SaintfietMalis Ministry of Youth and Sports has formally requested the dismissal of head coach Tom Saintfiet following the national teams failure to meet key performance targets outlined in his contract.According to an official correspondence dated 13 January 2026 and addressed to the Malian Football Federation, the ministry cited insufficient results as the basis for recommending the termination of the Belgian coachs deal.Saintfiet had been assigned four major objectives under his mandate. He successfully guided Mali to qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. However, the team fell short of expectations at the tournament, exiting at the quarter-final stage instead of reaching at least the final as stipulated.The remaining targets included securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and advancing to at least the Round of 32 at the global tournament, objectives the ministry says have not been achieved.The ministry has therefore urged the federation to proceed with the immediate termination of the contract in line with the relevant provisions, marking a potential end to Saintfiets tenure with the Eagles.Saintfiet was appointed in August 2024, signing a two-year contract.
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