The Eagles have only emerged victorious four times in over 30 encounters against the Elephants. The Malians have often struggled against the tough defense of the Elephants, and the Mali-Ivory Coast derby has typically favored the Ivorians. Since their first meeting in 1965, Mali has lost 19 out of 32 matches played against Ivory Coast, with only 4 victories and 9 draws.

This historical record has made Ivory Coast supporters optimistic ahead of the quarter-final match between the Elephants and the Eagles on Saturday, February 3 in Bouaké. The former Malian international and assistant coach, Amadou Pathé Diallo, also fell victim to this trend. Despite a promising start in 1983 where they defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in their first junior team match, they eventually succumbed to the Ivorians and Diallo never managed to secure a victory against them as a player or coach.

The memories of previous defeats, including the elimination from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, have fueled the perception of a “curse” when facing Ivory Coast. However, the former coach Alain Giresse advises against dwelling on these statistics, emphasizing the need to maintain a positive mindset and not succumb to negativity. While Diallo forecasts that the upcoming match between Mali and Ivory Coast will be the “greatest derby in the history of Malian football,” he is determined that the Eagles will not succumb once again to “Mali’s impotence” against the Elephants.