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Ghana opponents Mali name Crystal Palace ace Bakary Sako in strong final 23-man AFCON squad.

Ghana’s group opponents Mali named Crystal Palace striker Bakary Sako and Monaco playmaker Adama Traore as their biggest stars in a strong final 23-man squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Coach Alain Giresse’s squad is overwhelmingly dominated by foreign based players with 21 players in the squad playing for clubs abroad.

The only home-based players in the squad are Stade Malien goalkeepers Soumaila Diakité and Djigui Diarra as the vast majority of the squad ply their trade in the top leagues of Europe.

Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako, who has endured an injury-hit last few months in the English Premier League, was named as he has recovered in time for the tournament in Gabon.

The 28-year-old, born in France, is the biggest name in the final 23-man squad unveiled by Mali coach Alain Giresse for the tournament in Gabon, which begins on January 14.

However many will find Traore of French giants Monaco as the most talented player in the squad having thrilled at the U20 World Cup with his immense dribbling skills.

Giresse trimmed his squad to the final 23 after the Frenchman had previously named a 26-man provisional squad.

The coach attracted negative commentary over his squad having left out Middlesbrough’s Adama Traoré.

Mali are preparing for the tournament in Casablanca, Morocco, where they will take on Burkina Faso in a friendly on Saturday.

They will play a local Moroccan side in their final warm-up scheduled for January 10.

The Mali squad will travel to Gabon on January 14 and will face Egypt, Uganda and Ghana in Group D of the competition.

Mali will be making their 11th appearance in Africa’s flagship competition but have never won the competition.

They open their campaign at the tournament in Gabon against Egypt on January 17th before facing Uganda and Ghana.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Soumaila Diakité and Djigui Diarra (Stade Malien de Bamako), Oumar Sissoko (Orléans, France)

Defenders: Ousmane Coulibaly (Panathinaikos, Greece), Hamari Traore (Reims, France), Molla Wagué (Udinese, Italy), Salif Coulibaly (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Mohamed Oumar Konaté (RS Berkane, Morocco), Mahamadou N’Diaye (Troyes, France), Youssouf Koné (Lille, France)

Midfielders: Yves Bissouma (Lille, France), Mamoutou N’Diaye (Royal Antwerp, Belgium), Lassana Coulibaly (Bastia, France), Yacouba Sylla (Montpellier, France), Samba Sow (Kayserispor, Turkey), Adama Traoré (AS Monaco, France), Sambou Yatabaré (Werder Bremen, Germany)

Forwards: Moussa Marega (Vitória Guimarães, Portugal), Kalifa Coulibaly (Gent, Belgium), Moustapha Yatabaré (Karabukspor, Turkey), Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace, England), Moussa Doumbia (Rostov, Russia).

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