Djoliba AC

Djoliba AC
Full name Djoliba Athletic Club
Founded 1960
Ground Complex Sportif Hérémakono
Bamako, Mali
(Capacity: 5,000)
Chairman Karounga Keita
League Malien Premiere Division
Home colours
Away colours

Djoliba Athletic Club (Djoliba AC) is a Malian football club and one of the two biggest teams in Mali alongside the Stade Malien. The team is based in the capital city of Bamako. It has its headquarters and three training stadia at Complex Sportif Hérémakono, in the Heremakono Quartier. The President of Djoliba AC, re-elected in 2009 to a four year term, is Karounga Keita a VicePresident of FEMIFOOT, former trainer at the club, who was a player at the founding of the club in 1960.[1] "Djoliba" is the Bambara language name of the Niger River. Not only a football club, Djoliba AC is an Omnisports club which fields teams in many sports, and is operated as a membership organisation with an elected board.[2]

Contents

History

The club was created in 1960 by a fusion of "Africa Sport" Bamako and "Foyer du Soudan", two successful teams during French Colonial rule.

The team was helped a lot during the 1970s by officer Tiécoro Bagayoko, a prominent member of the ruling military dictatorship of president Moussa Traoré. Many critics of Djoliba AC, especially coming from the rival Stade Malien, claim that the strength of the club was built during that period.

However, Tiekoro Bagayoko was gone in 1978 after his arrest, yet Djoliba kept obtaining titles and cups. Today, it is reputed to be the biggest and the most organized soccer club in Mali.

Malien Première Division 2007/08

2008 was a year of great success for Djoliba, having finished the year before in second place to their cross town rivals, Djoliba handily took the cup and league double in 2008. Reigning champions from the 2007 Malien Première Division, Stade and Djoliba sat atop the standings the entire season, with Djoliba leading by a small but consistent margin in the run up to the final games. Their July 7th derby match was postponed to August, and although they lost this match their rivals, Stade faltered where Djoliba were consistent, finishing the season 9 points ahead of Stade. The only Cup meeting between the two rivals in the season was in the Semi-Finals of the Malien Cup, where Stade faced the humiliation of a 5-0 drubbing by Djoliba.[3]

Bamako District Mayor's Cup

Djoliba's one failure came at the end of the season, losing the "Coupe du Maire du District": the Bamako District Mayor's Cup to arch rivals Stade Malien. But while Stade made it to the final, its victory over Djoliba came from legal, rather than on the field factors. In the 44th minute of the match, Djoliba supporters rioted, attacking officials, other fans, and journalists. The match was called off, and several days later, awarded to Stade. Djoliba were fined 500.000F cfa, all payments for previous matches were withdrawn, and they were excluded form the 2009 competition. Stade received the trophy and a 750,000 F Cfa award from the Mayor of Bamako Adama Sangaré on 23 September.[4]

2008/9 Season

Djoliba competed in Malien Première Division 2008/09, beginning in December 2008. They began the season successfully, taking the Super Coupe National du Mali on December 6th against Club Olympique de Bamako 5-2. The Super Coupe launches the regular schedule by pitting the previous years' League and Cup winners. As Djoliba won both, they faced last years' Coupe du Mali runner up, COB.[5]

Achievements

1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009
1965, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2008

Performance in CAF competitions

1997 - First Round
1998 - First Round
1999 - Second Round
2000 - Second Round
2005 - Preliminary Round
2010 - Second Round
2011 - First Round
1967 - Semi-Finals
1972 - Quarter-Finals
1974 - Quarter-Finals
1975 - Second Round
1976 - Second Round
1977 - Quarter-Finals
1980 - Second Round
1983 - First Round
1989 - Second Round
1991 - Second Round
1993 - First Round
2004 - Preliminary Round
2008 - Third Round
2010 - Quarter-Finals
1992 - First Round
1995 - Quarter-Finals
2002 - Quarter-Finals
2003 - First Round
1981 - Semi-Finals
1982 - Semi-Finals
1984 - First Round
1985 - First Round
1994 - First Round

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 GK Cheikh Oumar Bathily
3 MF Moussa Diallo
5 DF Abdou Traore
7 MF Sékou Bagayoko
No. Position Player
9 MF Koffi Jacques Ngessan
11 FW Mallal N'diaye
14 MF Nouihoum Kobenan
DF Ibrahima Sory Bangoura

Former notable players

LINKS

References