I am not the kind of coach who complains about pitches- Mali Head Coach

Head coach of Mali’s National Men’s Football Team, Tom Saintfiet, says he isn’t one to complain about how the state of pitches influences games his team is involved in.

He made this statement in a pre-game press conference ahead of Mali’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 9 at 19:00 GMT.

His comments come at a time when Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has been heavily criticized for blaming the state of the astro turf Ghana played on in its disappointing 1-1 draw with Chad in N’Djamena.

Prior to the game, Addo said that playing on the pitch felt like playing on concrete, and after the gam, he said the Black Stars couldn’t play fast because the pitch wasn’t watered.

However, Tom Saintfiet brushed aside such thoughts ahead of the crucial game against Ghana as he believes the state of the pitch doesn’t influence the game.

“I am not the kind of coach who talks about pitches and circumstances. The pitch is for both teams, the same level…pitches have no influence, we have no influence on pitches. We play tomorrow on any pitch and we will play a good game with our potential” Saintfiet said.