adminthe French military.
Mali lost 1-0 to Ghana and won against Niger by the same score and will have a date with destiny today when they face the DRC at Moses Mabida Stadium in a Group B match.
Keita, who plies his trade in the Chinese league, said the duty of the Malian national team was to bring smiles to the millions of fans expecting them to go all the way to the final, having set a third-place standard at last year’s tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
“There is nothing we can do, we are football players and not politicians but what we can give is the joy in looking at how many people are happy seeing us play. We are affected as everyone is affected outside Mali,” he said.
Keita, who is making his sixth appearance at the Nations Cup tournament, having scored 20 goals in 64 appearances for the national team, said he would give all to see Malian football successful.
“I think I have been able to compete more than four times but I’m honoured because I am a competitor. I just feel that even a draw can qualify us. I am willing to do more for the Malian football even though there have been ups and downs in my international career but I am always prepared to do more for football in Mali.
“I would like to first focus until the end of this competition to think of my future, time will tell whether I am going to go forward but for now I and my partners we are okay and happy. But I will be able to decide . . . No one is eternal and there is a time I will have to call it off.
“We, however, need means to be able to go forward even though we are disappointed we didn’t win against Ghana. We have our destiny in our hands, our situation is not that negative and we feel that we can still go forward,” he said.
The Malian supporters, Keita said, remain his motivation.
Online Reporter