Portuguese Anthony da Silva appointed Mali coach for 2027 AFCON qualifiers

The 45-year-old arrives to replace Belgian manager Tom Saintfiet, who resigned as head coach on April 29th, leaving his position after less than two years in charge.

Although he had an impressive competitive record, his early departure was heavily influenced by administrative challenges and a preference within FEMAFOOT for local coaches.

A statement from FEMAFOOT said: “On the sidelines of his first animated press conference this Monday, July 6th at the Radisson Collection Hotel in Bamako, the new Eagles manager Anthony da Silva received from the hands of the president of FEMAFOOT, Mahazou Baba Cisset, a giant flag symbolising the top start of a mission, a collaboration at the service of Malian football.”

 Speaking after being unveiled, Silva said: “My philosophy is clear. I am a coach with a Portuguese culture. I like teams that are protagonists of the game, capable of controlling the ball, and dictating the pace of matches.”

Silva last coached in 2024

Silva’s last coaching stint was in 2024, when he handled Romania and its top-flight FC Politehnica Iasi.

During his playing time, Silva made his Primeira Liga debut in the 2005-06 season, only missing two games as CF Estrela da Amadora easily retained their league status.

In January 2007, he moved abroad, signing with CFR Cluj in Romania. During his spell at Cluj, Silva quickly became a fan favourite for his strong work ethic and dedication, eventually gaining team captaincy.

During his stint, he won six major titles, including two Liga I championships, contributing a total of 50 appearances and one goal to those conquests (32 matches in 2007-08).

In the following campaign, he suffered a knee ligament injury, which sidelined him for several weeks, but he still recovered in time to help the club win the domestic cup for the second time in its history. 

Silva returned to his country in January 2011 and signed with Vitoria Guimaraes, aged 30. In the same transfer window but the following year, he joined fellow top-tier side, Pacos de Ferreira.

Silva to lead Mali in AFCON qualifiers

In 2013, Silva scored his only goal in the Portuguese top flight, netting through a rare header to help his team defeat Sporting CP 1-0 at home and cling on to a best-ever third position, with the subsequent qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

He finished his career in 2015, following a spell with F.C. Penafiel in the same league. After becoming a manager, Silva worked mainly in the lower leagues or amateur football.

The exception to this was late into the 2015-16 season, when he went from assistant to interim at Academico de Viseu F.C. after Ricardo Cheu was dismissed by the second division club.

Silva was appointed at CDC Montalegre in the fourth tier in 2023, but he resigned the following March, after a 3-0 away defeat to FC Tirsense that left them in seventh place.

Silva’s immediate task will be to oversee Mali’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, where the Eagles have been drawn into Group K alongside Cape Verde, Rwanda, and Liberia.

The top two teams in the group will automatically advance to the 24-nation tournament.

The 48 participating nations are divided into 12 groups to determine the teams joining the host nations (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) at the finals, which are scheduled to take place from June 19th to July 17th, 2027.