By James Copnall
BBC West African football correspondent |
 The Eagles were all smiles during the 2004 Cup of Nations |
Last week's news that the Malian Football Federation (FMF) decided to sack coach Alain Moizan after only three months in the job may have surprised some.
Yet the news is not nearly as astonishing as the fact that Moizan was given the job in the first place.
Moizan was not even a smudge on the horizon of the Malian sporting public's eye when the FMF began casting around for a successor to Frenchmen Henri Stambouli.
After Stambouli led the Eagles to the semi-finals of the Nations Cup in Tunisia earlier this year, Malians were hoping he would stay in the job.
Yet once he left, having failed to agree an extension to his contract with the FMF, sports fans were expecting a big name coach to replace him.
After all, Mali had a good young squad, a talented striker in Frederic Kanoute and a real chance of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time.
But instead of a coach with a big reputation, the FMF appointed Moizan.
While Moizan was a fine player, winning eight caps for France, his coaching CV left something to be desired.
Short spells with Jeanne d'Arc and CSS in Senegal were not particularly successful, yet they formed Moizan's only coaching experience.
So why was he appointed?
 Jean Tigana was instrumental in Moizan's appointment |
First of all, the FMF's first-choice candidate, Yves Pouliquen, declined the federation's offer.
Secondly, Moizan had a powerful backer for Bamako-born France legend Jean Tigana, who has great clout in Malian sporting circles, was a former team-mate of Moizan's in the French national team.
What is more, Moizan was said to have been determined to put one over the Senegalese, who are in Group One of the 2006 World Cup and Cup of Nations qualifiers alongside Mali.
Moizan had applied several times to coach the Dakar Lions, only to be met with a firm refusal on each occasion.
Ironically, the French coach was sacked before he even got to lead the Eagles against Senegal - with Mali's next game coming against the Lions in September.
But when Moizan was appointed national coach in April, his evident determination - coupled with Tigana's support - were enough to convince the FMF.
What followed was disastrous.
Mali lost 1-0 in their opening World Cup qualifier against Liberia, then drew at home to Zambia before losing to Congo in Brazzaville.
At the moment, the Eagles prop up a group many thought they would be flying away with.
"Alain Moizan was never able to show the qualities required of a good coach," was the verdict of Mali newspaper Le Republicain.
The FMF will pay for their error dearly: Le Republicain speculates they will have to pay six months' salary to Moizan to compensate the Frenchman for his hasty departure.
That could be one reason why local coach Mamadou Keita 'Capi' is hotly tipped to take over - for the FMF would pay him less than they would a foreign coach.
Nevertheless, the FMF would do well to reflect hard on who they choose to coach the national team.
Moizan's short reign may well have cost the Eagles a real chance of going to Germany 2006.
MMIX
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