Barca´s Keita leads Mali squad

Mali coach Alain Giresse has named his 23-man squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, axing four players from the nation’s training camp.

Striker Cheick Fantamady Diarra of French Ligue 1 club Rennes and Jomo Cosmos defender Ousmane Berthe are among those sent home, as well as Sivasspor midfielder Souleymane Keita and Amarou Traore of Bordeaux.

Mali were eliminated in the group stage in 2008 and 2010, prompting the international retirement of several key players, such as Frederic Kanoute.

The squad – captained by Barcelona’s Seydou Keita – will wrap up preparations in Togo before travelling to Gabon on January 20.

They are matched with Ghana, Botswana and Guinea in Group D, and open their tournament against the latter on January 24.

Full squad: Soumbeyla Diakite (Stade Malien), Oumar Sissoko (Metz), Alimamy Sogoba (AS Real); Idrissa Coulibaly (Esperance), Ousmane Coulibaly (Brest), Drissa Diakite (Nice), Mohamed Fofana (Toulouse), Cedric Kante (Panathinaikos), Abdoulaye Maiga (USM Alger), Mouhamadou N’Diaye (Guimares), Adama Tamboura (Metz); Samba Diakite (Nancy), Seydou Keita (Barcelona), Sidi Kone (Lyon), Samba Sow (Lens), Abdou Traore (Bordeaux), Bakaye Traore (Nancy), Kalilou Traore (Odense), Mahamane Traore (Metz); Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Bordeaux), Garra Dembele (Freiburg), Modibo Maiga (Sochaux), Mustapha Yatabare (Guingamp).