Rayon Sports midfielder Issa Djiguiba has earned his first call-up to the Mali national team following an impressive start to life at the Rwandan club.
The 22-year-old is part of Mali’s 26-man squad for upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Cape Verde and Liberia, as well as a friendly against Tunisia.
Djiguiba joined Rayon Sports this summer from AS Real Bamako and has quickly established himself as a regular starter in the club’s midfield.
He is the only midfielder in Mali’s seven-man midfield selection currently playing for a club on the African continent, with the other six based abroad.
His call-up comes as recognition of his early impact at Rayon Sports, where he has emerged as one of the team’s notable performers.
Djiguiba, however, missed Rayon Sports’ latest CAF Confederation Cup fixture against Panthère Sportive du Ndé because of documentation issues.
Mali will host Cape Verde in Group K of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers before travelling to face Liberia. The team will then play Tunisia in a friendly as part of its international-break programme.
Mali, Rwanda, Cape Verde and Liberia are in the same qualifying group, meaning Djiguiba could face Rwanda in the race for a place at the continental tournament.
