Stade Malien (basketball)

Stade Malien
Stade Malien logo
NicknameBlancs de Bamako (Whites of Bamako)
LeagueLigue 1
BAL
Established28 August 1960; 64 years ago (1960-08-28)
HistoryStade Malien
(1960–present)
ArenaPalais des Sports Salamatou Maiga
Capacity8,000
LocationBamako, Mali
PresidentMahamadou Samaké
General managerMoustapha Touré
Head coachBoubacar Kanouté
Championships19 Ligue 1
25 Malian Cups

Stade Malien is a Malian basketball team based in Bamako. It is part of the multi-sports club, which also has a football team and rugby team. Founded in 1960, Stade plays in the Ligue 1, the highest level of basketball in Mali.

The club is one of the most decorated teams in Mali, having won the Ligue 1 a record nineteen times and the Malian Cup a record twenty-five times.[1] The Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga is the home arena of the team.

Stade Malien were the third placed team in the 2023 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and have qualified for the 2025 season as well. They were also runners-up in the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup twice, in 1972 and 1989.

History

[edit]

The parent club of the basketball team was founded in 1960.

It took thirty-two years before Stade Malien won its first title, which was in 1992.

They also reached the FIBA Africa Club Champions Cup finals twice, in 1972 and 1989. Both finals were lost, to Red Star Ndongo and ASEC Mimosas respectively.

After last appearing in international competitions in 2007, Stade Malien played in the 2023 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), after finishing third in the West Division of the Road to BAL.[2] Stade Malien finished as winners of the 2023 Sahara Conference, after finishing with a 3–2 record. They were led by local young players, 22-year old Souleymane Berthé who averaged 20.4 points, and 21-year old Aliou Diarra who lead the conference in rebounding with 13.4 per game.[3]

In the 2023 BAL Playoffs, Stade Malien continued its rise by defeating the Cape Town Tigers in the quarter-finals and thus becoming the first Malian team to reach the BAL semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Malians narrowly lost to Al Ahly, before taking the third place game over Petro de Luanda. Aliou Diarra was named the BAL Defensive Player of the Year, and was given a spot in the All-BAL First Team.

After missing the 2024 season due to financial issues, Stade Malien was able to qualify for their second BAL season in the 2025 season, with their new head coach Boubacar Kanouté, and their core of local players, including Mahamane Coulibaly, Abdramane Kanouté and Ibrahim Djambo.[4][5]

Arena

[edit]

Stade Malien plays its home games at the Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga, a 8,000-capacity arena in Bamako.[6]

Honours

[edit]

National

[edit]

Ligue 1 (record)[1]

  • Champions (19): 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,[7] 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011,[7] 2012, 2014,[8] 2022,[9] 2023, 2024

Malian Cup (record)[1][10]

  • Winners (25): 1961, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2014,[11] 2022,[12] 2023

Malian Super Cup

International

[edit]

Basketball Africa League (BAL)

  • Third place (1): 2023

FIBA Africa Champions Cup

  • Runners-up (2): 1972, 1989
  • Third place (1): 1981
  • Fourth place (1): 1996

Road to BAL

  • Third place (1): 2023

Players

[edit]
Stade Malien in 2023 during a friendly tournament ahead of the 2023 BAL season

2023 roster

[edit]

The following was the Stade Malien roster in the 2023 BAL season:

As of 22 May 2023.[15]

Note: Flags indicate national team, as has been defined under FIBA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIBA nationality.

No. Pos. Nat. Player
1 PG Mali MLI Makan Keïta
2 SG Mali MLI Namakan Traoré
5 PF Mali MLI Mohamed Pare
6 G Nigeria NGA Kelvin Amayo
7 G Mali MLI Ouamr Bagayoko
10 G Mali MLI Mamadou Keita
12 SF Mali MLI Tamandjan Konate
14 PF Mali MLI Soumaila Sissouma
15 C Mali MLI Aliou Diarra
23 SF Mali MLI Souleymane Berthé
24 C Nigeria NGA Rueben Chinyelu
34 PF Morocco MAR John Wilkins
45 C United States USA Gregory Clay Foster

Head coach: Mali Kaba Kanté

Aliou Diarra was the 2023 BAL Defensive Player of the Year

Notable players

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.


In the Basketball Africa League

[edit]
Season Road to BAL Main competition
W L Result Qualified W L Result
2023 6 2  Bronze Yes 5 3  Bronze
2024 Withdrew due to financial issues Did not qualify
2025 5 2  Silver| data-sort-value="Yes" style="background: #DFD; color:black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-yes2" |Yes TBD
Total 11 4 2/2 5 3

Women's team

[edit]

Stade Malien also has a women's team that plays in the highest division of Mali. The team has won the Malian championship three times (in 2001, 2011 and 2013) and the Malian Women's Cup eleven times (1981, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2016, 2022).[16]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Basketball Homme - Stade Malien de Bamako" (in French). 8 December 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Stade Malien pick last ticket from West Division for BAL 2023". FIBA.basketball. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (22 March 2023). "Stade Malien are Sahara Conference champions, Monastir eliminated". The New Times. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Stade Malien Stats, Games, Results, Rosters, Photos & Videos - FIBA Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L 2025 | FIBA.basketball". www.fiba.basketball. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Stade Malien outpace KSA, qualify for the 2025 BAL". www.fiba.basketball. 9 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Meet the team: Stade Malien". www.fiba.basketball. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Stade Malien". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  8. ^ Mody, Cisse (23 July 2014). "Mali • Le Stade Malien sacré champion national de basket masculin • Malijet". Malijet. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  9. ^ Demba, Varore (9 September 2022). "AS Police et Stade malien sacrés champions du Mali". Sport News Africa (in French). Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Palmarès". Basket Mali (in French). Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Finales 2014 de la coupe du Mali de basket-ball : Le Stade Malien et l'AS Commune III sur le podium". maliweb.net (in French). 27 August 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Stade Malien clinch Cup title in Bamako". Afrobasket.com. 6 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  13. ^ "Super Coupe du Mali: Le Stade Malien fait coup double - NEWS BASKET BEAFRIKA". NEWS BASKET BEAFRIKA 🏀 (in French). Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  14. ^ Demba, Varore (19 February 2023). "Mali : Le Stade Malien réalise le doublé en Super Coupe". Sport News Africa (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Stade Malien (MALI)". The BAL. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Basketball Dame - Stade Malien de Bamako" (in French). 8 December 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stade_Malien_(basketball)&oldid=1256710152"