Éric Chelle, the coach of Mali, recently spoke about the journey of international player Yves Bissouma following the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
In his remarks, Chelle admitted that Bissouma is important within the Malian team.
From the outset of his tenure, Chelle took care to individually meet with each player, including Yves Bissouma.
He expressed his intention to give Bissouma the keys to the truck, symbolizing the trust and responsibility he bestowed upon him within the team.
However, Chelle acknowledged making a mistake by positioning him as a number 10.
He justified this decision by Bissouma’s remarkable technical qualities, notably his exceptional ball control.
Faced with Bissouma’s evident frustration, Chelle decided to offer him a different opportunity by testing him in the defensive midfielder position. Unfortunately, during the AFCON, Bissouma encountered difficulties due to health issues, potentially limiting his impact on the field.
“Yves Bissouma is one of the players I met individually when I took office.
I said: ‘Yves, I’m going to give you the keys, yes, the keys to the truck.’ My mistake was putting him as a number 10.
With all the technical qualities he possesses, especially his exceptional ball control, I thought that position was suitable for him.
Afterwards, I felt he was a bit frustrated, so I wanted to try him out as a defensive midfielder.
At the AFCON, he didn’t have much success because he was unwell, otherwise he had an exceptional preparation,” said the coach.
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