Mali's men's youth national teams did very well for themselves in 2015: the U-17s made the final of the U-17 World Cup, losing out to Nigeria; the U-20s finished third at the U-20 World Cup.
Red Bull Global Soccer took notice: Diadie Samessekou landed at RB Salzburg in August, 2015, fresh from Mali's impressive work at the U-20 World Cup; Amadou Haidara, whose performances at the U-17 World Cup had reportedly caught Chelsea's attention, followed in July 2016; another member of the Mali U-17 squad at the 2015 World Cup, Sekou Koita, is expected to join Salzburg once he turns 18.