Mali has a long and historical tradition of participating in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Even though Mali's participation in the AFCON prior to 21st century was sporadic, they managed a number of notable achievements, but are yet to win the tournament. In their debut at 1972 Africa Cup of Nations, Mali finished runners-up behind Congo, a great feat up to date.^[1] Prior to 2008, each time Mali qualified, they reached the knockout stage, having only qualified four times before then. Mali hosted the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations; it is the only time Mali have hosted the tournament thus far.^[2] In 2015, Mali was eliminated with controversy because of drawing of lots to Guinea.^[3][4]

Overall record

Africa Cup of Nations record										Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1957	Part of  France									Part of  France
1959
1962	Did not enter									Did not enter
1963
1965	Did not qualify									Did not qualify
1968
1970
1972	Runners-up	2nd	5	1	3	1	11	11		4	3	1	0	7	2
1974	Did not qualify									4	1	3	0	8	6
1976										2	1	0	1	5	3
1978										2	1	0	1	1	2
1980										Did not enter
1982										4	2	0	2	7	7
1984										4	2	0	2	5	6
1986										4	1	2	1	4	9
1988										Withdrew
1990										6	2	3	1	8	7
1992										6	0	3	3	2	7
1994	Fourth place	4th	5	2	0	3	4	8		6	3	1	2	8	7
1996	Did not qualify									10	5	1	4	15	10
1998										6	3	0	3	9	9
2000										8	3	4	1	8	3
2002	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	5	5		Qualified as hosts
2004	Fourth place	4th	6	3	1	2	10	10		6	4	1	1	9	2
2006	Did not qualify									12	4	2	6	15	15
2008	Group stage	10th	3	1	1	1	1	3		6	3	3	0	10	1
2010	Group stage	9th	3	1	1	1	7	6		12	6	3	3	21	15
2012	Third place	3rd	6	3	1	2	6	5		6	3	1	2	9	6
2013	Third place	3rd	6	2	2	2	7	8		2	2	0	0	7	1
2015	Group stage	10th	3	0	3	0	3	3		6	3	0	3	8	6
2017	Group stage	12th	3	0	2	1	1	2		6	5	1	0	13	3
2019	Round of 16	11th	4	2	1	1	6	3		6	4	2	0	10	2
2021	Round of 16	11th	4	2	2	0	4	1		6	4	1	1	10	4
2023	Qualified									To be determined
2025	To be determined
2027
Total	Runners-up	12/35	54	19	19	16	65	65		136	65	32	38	199	133

Tournaments and squads

AFCON	Date	Location	Opponent	Score	Mali scorers	Round
1972	24 February 1972	Yaoundé	Togo	3–3	Bakary Traoré 10' Fantamady Keita 46' Bako Touré 49'	Group stage
	26 February 1972		Kenya	1–1	Fantamady Keita 45'
	28 February 1972		Cameroon	1–1	Fantamady Keita 43'
	2 March 1972	Douala	Zaire	4–3 (a.e.t.)	Adama Traoré 17' Fantamady Keita 48', 92' Bako Touré 68'	Semi-finals
	5 March 1972	Yaoundé	Congo	2–3	Moussa Diakhité 42' Moussa Traoré 75'	Final
1994	26 March 1994	Tunis	Tunisia	2–0	Fernand Coulibaly 25' Modibo Sidibé 34'	Group stage
	28 March 1994		Zaire	0–1
	2 April 1994		Egypt	1–0	Soumaila Traoré 64'	Quarter-finals
	6 April 1994		Zambia	0–4		Semi-finals
	10 April 1994		Ivory Coast	1–3	Amadou Diallo 46'	Third place
2002	19 January 2002	Bamako	Liberia	1–1	Seydou Keita 87'	Group stage
	24 January 2002		Nigeria	0–0
	28 January 2002		Algeria	2–0	Mamadou Bagayoko 18' Bassala Touré 24'
	3 February 2002	Kayes	South Africa	2–0	Bassala Touré 69' Dramane Coulibaly 90+2'	Quarter-finals
	7 February 2002	Bamako	Cameroon	0–3		Semi-finals
	9 February 2002	Mopti	Nigeria	0–1		Third place
2004	26 January 2004	Bizerte	Kenya	3–1	Mohamed Sissoko 28' Frédéric Kanouté 63', 81'	Group stage
	30 January 2004	Tunis	Burkina Faso	3–1	Frédéric Kanouté 34' Mahamadou Diarra 37' Soumaila Coulibaly 78'
	2 February 2004		Senegal	1–1	Dramane Traoré 34'
	7 February 2004		Guinea	2–1	Frédéric Kanouté 45' Mahamadou Diarra 90'	Quarter-finals
	11 February 2004	Sousse	Morocco	0–4		Semi-finals
	13 February 2004	Monastir	Nigeria	1–2	Sédonoudé Abouta 70'	Third place
2008	21 January 2008	Sekondi-Takoradi	Benin	1–0	Frédéric Kanouté 49' (pen.)	Group stage
	25 January 2008		Nigeria	0–0
	29 January 2008	Accra	Ivory Coast	0–3
2010	10 January 2010	Luanda	Angola	4–4	Seydou Keita 79', 90+3' Frédéric Kanouté 88' Mustapha Yatabaré 90+4'	Group stage
	14 January 2010		Algeria	0–1
	18 January 2010	Cabinda	Malawi	3–1	Frédéric Kanouté 1' Seydou Keita 3' Mamadou Bagayoko 85'
2012	24 January 2012	Franceville	Guinea	1–0	Bakaye Traoré 30'	Group stage
	28 January 2012		Ghana	0–2
	1 February 2012		Botswana	2–1	Garra Dembélé 56' Seydou Keita 75'
	5 February 2012	Libreville	Gabon	1–1 (5–4 p)	Cheick Diabaté 85'	Quarter-finals
	8 February 2012		Ivory Coast	0–1		Semi-finals
	11 February 2012	Malabo	Ghana	2–0	Cheick Diabaté 23', 80'	Third place
2013	20 January 2013	Port Elizabeth	Niger	1–0	Seydou Keita 84'	Group stage
	24 January 2013		Ghana	0–1
	28 January 2013	Durban	DR Congo	1–1	Mamadou Samassa 15'
	2 February 2013		South Africa	1–1 (3–1 p)	Seydou Keita 58'	Quarter-finals
	6 February 2013		Nigeria	1–4	Cheick Fantamady Diarra 75'	Semi-finals
	9 February 2013	Port Elizabeth	Ghana	3–1	Mamadou Samassa 21' Seydou Keita 48' Sigamary Diarra 90+4'	Third place
2015	20 January 2015	Malabo	Cameroon	1–1	Sambou Yatabaré 71'	Group stage
	24 January 2015		Ivory Coast	1–1	Bakary Sako 7'
	28 January 2015	Mongomo	Guinea	1–1	Modibo Maïga 47'
2017	17 January 2017	Port-Gentil	Egypt	0–0		Group stage
	21 January 2017		Ghana	0–1
	25 January 2017	Oyem	Uganda	1–1	Yves Bissouma 73'
2019	24 June 2019	Suez	Mauritania	4–1	Abdoulay Diaby 37' Moussa Marega 45' (pen.) Adama Traoré II 55' Adama Traoré I 74'	Group stage
	28 June 2019		Tunisia	1–1	Diadie Samassékou 60'
	2 July 2019	Ismaila	Angola	1–0	Amadou Haidara 37'
	8 July 2019	Suez	Ivory Coast	0–1		Round of 16
2021	12 January 2022	Limbe	Tunisia	1–0	Ibrahima Koné 48' (pen.)	Group stage
	16 January 2022		Gambia	1–1	Ibrahima Koné 79' (pen.)
	20 January 2022	Douala	Mauritania	2–0	Massadio Haïdara 2' Ibrahima Koné 49' (pen.)
	26 January 2022	Limbe	Equatorial Guinea	0–0 (5–6 p)		Round of 16