Mali sack head coach Chelle

Mali have fired head coach Eric Chelle, the West African nation's soccer federation said on Thursday.

In a statement, reported on national television, it gave no reason for the decision but the sacking comes days after Mali were held to a goalless draw by 10-man Madagascar in a Group I World Cup qualifier in Johannesburg.

"The executive committee of the Malian Football Federation, meeting in extraordinary session today unanimously decided, with the agreement of the supervisory authority, to end the collaboration between the coach of the National Team Senior, Mr. Eric Sekou Chelle and the federation," the statement said.

Chelle, 46, born in the Ivory Coach to a French father and a Malian mother, was brought up in France. He played at club level mostly in France and for Mali at the international level where he made five appearances between 2004 and 2006.

He was appointed as Mali's head coach in May 2022 and led the team to the quarterfinals of the 2023 African Cup of Nations held in Ivory Coast earlier this year.

Before managing Mali, Chelle's previous coaching experience was at Martigues and Boulogne in the French lower divisions.