CABINDA: Mali will miss midfield ace Mahamadou Diarra when they face Malawi Monday in a make-or-break Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash.
The Real Madrid star was cautioned when the Eagles from west Africa drew 4-4 with Angola and lost 1-0 to Algeria in Luanda and must serve an automatic one-match suspension.
Diarra, Seydou Keita from European and world champions Barcelona and Momo Sissoko of Italian outfit Juventus are the men who make the Malian midfield tick and create openings for Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute.
Fellow midfielder Bakary Soumare from French Ligue 1 club Boulogne has been sidelined for the same reason after picking up two yellow cards as Mali secured a solitary point from a possible six.
These are massive blows for bottom-of-the-table Mali as they must defeat second-placed Malawi to have any chance of snatching second place in the mini-league and squeezing into the quarter-finals.
Coach Stephen Keshi boasted before the tournament that the Eagles were capable of going all the way to the final for the first time since losing 3-2 to Congo Brazzaville in the 1972 Yaounde decider.
And after trailing hosts Angola by four goals with 11 minutes left, they staged the greatest comeback in the 53-year Nations Cup history to snatch a draw deep in stoppage time.
But they looked jaded four days later against an Algerian side smarting from a three-goal hiding by pre-tournament no-hopers Malawi and a Rafik Halliche header just before half-time settled the outcome.
Now Malian salvation lies in beating Malawi and third-placed Algeria not defeating leaders Angola at the same time in the 50,000-seat November 11 Stadium fortress of the first Portuguese-speaking nation to stage the event.
Keshi is furious that Mali were robbed of a training session before their flight north from capital city Luanda to the oil-rich Cabinda enclave after Algeria arrived first at a double-booked venue and refused to budge.
Malawi coach and former star striker Kinnah Phiri was equally livid at being robbed of three practices before a 2-0 midweek loss to Angola, claiming the hosts were guilty of the dirty tricks so prevalent in African football.
The lowest ranked team in the biennial African football showcase at 23, Malawi were considered potential whipping boys only to upset Algeria and match Angola for 45 minutes before conceding two goals in seven minutes.
Phiri has built the most impressive Flames squad for many years with lengthy ball retention through slick, short passes a feature and a draw would suffice to take them through provided Algeria do not secure maximum points.
Lanky striker Russell Mwafulirwa missed the Angola game through injury and if passed fit to operate at the Chiazi Stadium could trouble a Malian defense vulnerable to aerial bombardments.
