# Djoliba AC

Djoliba Athletic Club is a Malian football club and one of the two biggest teams in Mali alongside the Stade Malien. The team is based in the capital city of Bamako. It has its headquarters and three training stadia at Complex Sportif Hérémakono, in the Heremakono Quartier. The President of Djoliba AC, re-elected in 2009 to a four-year term, is Karounga Keita a Vice President of the Malian Football Federation, former trainer at the club, who was a player at the founding of the club in 1960. Djoliba or Joliba is the name of the Niger River in the Bamana language. Not only a football club, Djoliba AC is an Omnisports club which fields teams in many sports, and is operated as a membership organisation with an elected board.

## History

The club was created in 1960 by a fusion of "Africa Sport" Bamako and "Foyer du Soudan", two successful teams during French Colonial rule.
The team was helped a lot during the 1970s by officer Tiécoro Bagayoko, a prominent member of the ruling military dictatorship of president Moussa Traoré. Many critics of Djoliba AC, especially coming from the rival Stade Malien, claim that the strength of the club was built during that period.
However, Bagayoko was gone in 1978 after his arrest, yet Djoliba kept winning titles and cups. Today, it is reputed to be the biggest and the most organized soccer club in Mali.

### Malien Première Division 2007/08

2008 was a year of great success for Djoliba, having finished the year before in second place to their cross-town rivals, Djoliba handily took the cup and league double in 2008. Reigning champions from the 2007 Malien Première Division, Stade and Djoliba sat atop the standings the entire season, with Djoliba leading by a small but consistent margin in the run up to the final games. Their 7 July derby match was postponed to August, and although they lost this match their rivals, Stade faltered where Djoliba were consistent, finishing the season 9 points ahead of Stade. The only Cup meeting between the two rivals in the season was in the Semi-finals of the Malien Cup, where Stade faced the humiliation of a 5–0 drubbing by Djoliba.

#### Bamako District Mayor's Cup

Djoliba's one failure came at the end of the season, losing the "Coupe du Maire du District": the Bamako District Mayor's Cup to arch rivals Stade Malien. But while Stade made it to the final, its victory over Djoliba came from legal, rather than on the field factors. In the 44th minute of the match, Djoliba supporters rioted, attacking officials, other fans, and journalists. The match was called off, and several days later, awarded to Stade. Djoliba were fined 500.000 F cfa, all payments for previous matches were withdrawn, and they were excluded form the 2009 competition. Stade received the trophy and a 750,000 F Cfa award from the Mayor of Bamako Adama Sangaré on 23 September.

### 2008/09 Season

Djoliba competed in 2008–09 Malian Première Division, beginning in December 2008. They began the season successfully, taking the Super Coupe National du Mali on 6 December against Club Olympique de Bamako 5–2. The Super Coupe launches the regular schedule by pitting the previous years' League and Cup winners. As Djoliba won both, they faced last years' Coupe du Mali runner up, COB.

### Djoliba AC today

In 2010, Djoliba celebrated its 50th anniversary of the merger and foundation of the club.
Their last championship win was in 2012 and their last super cup win was in 2013.
Djoliba appeared at group stage in the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup, they challenged with AC Léopards of the Republic of the Congo, Morocco's WAC Casablanca and brought Mali's largest rivalry to the cup competition, Stade Malien, Djoliba defeat that club in two matches. Djoliba advanced to the semis and defeated a Sudanese club and challenged with AC Léopard's in the finals and lost to that club, there, they made the greatest position in the continental competitions for Djoliba.
In the 2017 season, Djoliba was 8th place and had two wins and a draw and had seven points before the abandonment as FEMAFOOT was dissolved by the government mainly by an undetermined reason on 9 March, over a week later, FIFA suspended the Malian Football Federation on 17 March which meant all Malian clubs competing at the continental level were banned until 7 May. The reason was that money that the Ministry of Sport gave to the clubs. The least problem of the
Djoliba appeared in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup and faced Egypt's al-Masry. Djoliba defeated that club 2–0, as a result of the March 2017 dissolution by the government, al-Masry was awarded against Djoliba 0–3 in the away match somewhere on 18 March. The season was halted and in early May, the Federation was restored, their next challenge would be with Kita, that 6th round match is on hold. Their first challenge since the restoration was on 8 May, a 7th round match where the club defeated Black Stars 0–5 in Badalabougou.

## Stadium

Djoliba plays at Stade 26 Mars. The club trains at Complex Sportif Hérémakono, in the Heremakono Quartier.

## Rivalries

Its rivalry is with Stade Malien forming the nation's largest rivalry known as the Grand Derby. Real Bamako is Djoliba's other rivalry being called the Bamako Derby and the nation's second largest.

## Honours
### League

* Malien Première Division
** Champions (24): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2022, 2023–24.

### Cup

* Malien Cup
** Winners (20): 1965, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2022.
* Super Coupe National du Mali
** Winners (7): 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2008, 2012, 2013.

## League and cup history
### Performance in CAF competitions

| Competition | Matches | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League | 76 | 30 | 20 | 26 | | |
| CAF Confederation Cup | 54 | 20 | 15 | 19 | | |
| CAF Cup Winners' Cup | 22 | 9 | 8 | 6 | | |
| CAF Cup | 16 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 16 |
| Total | 168 | 63 | 44 | 56 | | |
Djoliba's results in CAF competition :
| Season | Competition | Qualification method | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Aggregate |
| 1967 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | Invincible Eleven | | | w/o$^1$ |
| 1967 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Quarterfinals | Hafia FC | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| 1967 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Semifinals | Hearts of Oak | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 |
| 1972 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | ASFA Ouagadougou | 1–0 | 1–3 | 4–1 |
| 1972 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | ASFA Dakar | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 $^2$ |
| 1972 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Quarterfinals | Hafia FC | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–4 |
| 1974 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | Bendel Insurance | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| 1974 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Quarterfinals | CARA Brazzaville | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 |
| 1975 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | Mighty Blackpool | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 |
| 1975 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Quarterfinals | Lomé | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–4 |
| 1976 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | Real de Banjul | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–0 |
| 1976 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | Hafia FC | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 |
| 1977 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | UDIB | 5–0 | 0–1 | 6–0 |
| 1977 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | SC Gagnoa | 1–1 | 1–3 | 4–2 |
| 1977 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Quarter-Finals | Lomé | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1$^3$ |
| 1980 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | AS Niamey | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 |
| 1980 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | Hearts of Oak | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 1981 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | RC Daloa | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 1981 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | Second Round | AC Semassi | 3–0 | 0–1 | 4–0 |
| 1981 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | Quarterfinals | Gor Mahia FC | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| 1981 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | Semifinals | Stationery Stores | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| 1982 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | Requins de l'Atlantique FC | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 1982 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | Second Round | Union Douala | 3–0 | 0–1 | 4–0 |
| 1982 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | Quarterfinals | AS Vita Club | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 1982 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | Semifinals | Power Dynamos FC | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 |
| 1983 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | Hafia FC | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| 1984 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | Great Olympics | 0–4 | 0–0 | 0–4 |
| 1985 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | MP Oran | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 |
| 1989 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | Horoya AC | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 1989 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Second Round | Mighty Blackpool | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| 1991 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Preliminary Round | ASC Port Autonome | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 1991 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | Club Africain | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 |
| 1992 | CAF Cup | | First Round | USC Bobo Dioulasso | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 (a) |
| 1993 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | Preliminary Round | ASC Sonader Ksar | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 1993 | African Cup of Champions Clubs | Malian champions | First Round | ASEC Mimosas | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 |
| 1994 | CAF Cup Winners' Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | NA Hussein Dey | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 |
| 1995 | CAF Cup | | First Round | SM Sanga Balende | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| 1995 | CAF Cup | | Second Round | Shooting Stars | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| 1995 | CAF Cup | | Quarterfinals | Inter Brazzaville | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 |
| 1997 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | Club Africain | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–4 |
| 1998 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | Hearts of Oak | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| 2000 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | Cotonsport Garoua | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–3 (a) |
| 2000 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | Second Round | Raja Casablanca | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 (2–4 p) |
| 2002 | CAF Cup | | First Round | NPA FC | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–2 |
| 2002 | CAF Cup | | Second Round | Maranatha FC | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2002 | CAF Cup | | Quarterfinals | JS Kabylie | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 |
| 2003 | CAF Cup | | First Round | FC 105 Libreville | 3–1 | 3–0 | 3–4 |
| 2005 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | Douanes (Dakar) | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 2008 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | Satellite FC | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| 2008 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Second Round | AS Mangasport | 3–1 | 1–2 | 5–2 |
| 2008 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Third Round | Club Africain | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 (3–5 p) |
| 2010 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | Preliminary Round | Al-Ahly Benghazi | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 2010 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | ASC Linguère | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 (4–3 p) |
| 2010 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | Second Round | TP Mazembe | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–4 |
| 2010 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Second Round | CR Belouizdad | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 (a) |
| 2010 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage$^4$ | Al-Hilal Club | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3rd |
| 2010 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage$^4$ | AS FAN | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3rd |
| 2010 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage$^4$ | Al-Ittihad Tripoli | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3rd |
| 2011 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | East End Lions | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–0 |
| 2011 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | Second Round | ASC Diaraf | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–4 |
| 2012 | CAF Champions League | Premiere Division runner-up | First Round | URA SC | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–0 |
| 2012 | CAF Champions League | Premiere Division runner-up | Second Round | Sunshine Stars | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| 2012 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Round of 16 | Club Africain | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 (4–3 p) |
| 2012 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage$^4$ | AC Léopards | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1st |
| 2012 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage$^4$ | Stade Malien | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1st |
| 2012 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage$^4$ | WAC Casablanca | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1st |
| 2012 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Semifinals | Al-Hilal Club | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 (7–6 p) |
| 2012 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Finals | AC Léopards | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–4 |
| 2013 | CAF Champions League | Premier Division runner-up | First Round | Saint George SA | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 |
| 2015 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | Petrojet | 2–2 | 1–2 | 4–3 |
| 2015 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Second Round | Hearts of Oak | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2017 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Preliminary Round | al-Masry | 2–0 | 3–0$^4$ | 2–3 |
| 2018 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Preliminary Round | ELWA United | | | w/o$^5$ |
| 2018 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | First Round | APR F.C. | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2(a) |
| 2018 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Play-off Round | MFM F.C. | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| 2018 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage | Enyimba F.C. | 0–1 | 2–0 | 4th |
| 2018 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage | CARA Brazzaville | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4th |
| 2018 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup winners | Group Stage | Williamsville AC | 1–1 | 0–0 | 4th |
| 2018–19 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup runners-up | Preliminary Round | Génération Foot | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| 2019–20 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup runners-up | First Round | Maranatha FC | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| 2019–20 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup runners-up | Play-off Round | Elect-Sport FC | 4–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 |
| 2019–20 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup runners-up | Group Stage | Horoya | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3rd |
| 2019–20 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup runners-up | Group Stage | Al-Nasr | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3rd |
| 2019–20 | CAF Confederation Cup | Malian Cup runners-up | Group Stage | Bidvest Wits | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3rd |
| 2022–23 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | First Round | Deportivo Mongomo | 5–0 | 2–0 | 5–2 |
| 2022–23 | CAF Champions League | Malian champions | Second Round | CR Belouizdad | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 |
    $^1$Invincible Eleven withdrew
    $^2$ The match was finished 2-0 in favour of Djoliba, ASFA refused to play the penalty shootout due to arbitration, they were to be banned from CAF competitions for three years, no ban was put as ASFA Dakar participated the following season after winning their second championship title
    $^3$Djoliba was disqualified for not paying their debts to the CAF
    $^4$FIFA suspended the Malian Football Federation on 17 March 2017 which meant all Malian clubs such as Djoliba were banned from participating in African football competitions, in early May, the suspension has been lifted.
    $^5$Djoliba won on walkover after ELWA United withdrew.

### WAFU Club Championship

Djoliba's results at the WAFU Club Championship :
| Season | Competition | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Aggregate |
| 1987 | WAFU Club Championship | Preliminary Round | Sierra Fisheries | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 1987 | WAFU Club Championship | Quarterfinals | Stella Club d'Adjamé | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| 1990 | WAFU Club Championship | Preliminary Round | ETICS Thiès | 0–3 | 3–2 | 6–3 |
| 1990 | WAFU Club Championship | Quarterfinals | Okwahu United | N/A | N/A | Qual. |
| 1990 | WAFU Club Championship | Semifinals | Sierra Fisheries | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| 1990 | WAFU Club Championship | Finals | ASEC Abidjan | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 |

### National level

| Season | Tier | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | P | Cup |
| 2007–08 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 44 | 13 | +31 | 64 | Winner |
| 2008–09 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 43 | 15 | +28 | 55 | Winner |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 34 | 9 | +25 | 59 | |
| 2010–11 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 37 | 19 | +18 | 49 | |
| 2011–12 | 1 | 1 | 26 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2012–13 | 1 | 3 | 30 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 47 | 19 | +28 | 55 | Finalist |

## Statistics

* Best position: Semifinals (continental)
* Best position at cup competitions: Finalist (continental)

## Squad

as of 8 April 2014
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | MLI | Cheick Sy |
| 3 | MF | CIV | Fidelle Ndri |
| 4 | DF | MLI | Foe |
| 5 | DF | MLI | Samba Diallo |
| 6 | DF | MLI | Guimballa Oulé Tounkara |
| 8 | MF | MLI | Soumaïla Sidibé |
| 9 | MF | MLI | Amara Mallé |
| 10 | MF | MLI | Hamidou Sinayoko |
| 12 | DF | MLI | Idrissa Traoré (Captain) |
| 14 | MF | MLI | Seydou Diallo |
| 15 | FW | MLI | Lassana Diarra |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 16 | GK | MLI | Cheick Oumar Bathily |
| 17 | FW | MLI | Drissa Ballo |
| 18 | MF | MLI | Rato |
| 19 | MF | CYP | Konstantin Konstantinou |
| 21 | MF | GUI | Ismaël Camara |
| 22 | GK | MLI | Adama Kéïta |
| 23 | DF | MLI | Mahamadou Cisse |
| 24 | FW | MLI | Seydou Traoré |
| 26 | DF | MLI | Abedi Traoré |
| 28 | FW | MAR | Nasser Abbas |
| 30 | FW | MLI | Aboubacar Traore |

### Head coach

* Abderrazak Chlih

## Notable players

* Vincent Traoré
* Koffi Pascal N'Guessan
* Bourahama Sidibé
* Issa Nabioul N’Diaye
* Guillaume Traoré
* Ibrahima Bangoura Olyssé (eight caps for the Guinea national football team)
* Almamy Camara
* Sedonoude Janvier Abouta
* Salif Coulibaly
* Moussa Nesta Diallo
* Kalilou Doumbia
* Mohamed Oumar Konaté (Ivorian born former Malian U-20 national football team player)
* Boubacar Koné
* Sékou Rafan Sidibé
* Idrissa Traoré
* Issa Traoré
* Mahamane Cissé (three caps for the Niger national football team and former Malian U-20 national team member)
* Ousmane Cissé
* Yahaya Coulibaly
* Bourahama Sidibé
* Ouro-Nimini Tchagnirou

## Basketball team

Djoliba AC also fields both a men's and women's basketball team that play in the Ligue 1, the top national divisions. The men's team has won two Malian Cups (in 1965 and 1966).