Djoliba Athletic Club is a Malian football club and one of the two biggest teams in Mali alongside Stade Malien. The team is based in the capital city of Bamako. It has its headquarters and three training stadia at Complex Sportif Hérémakono, in the Heremakono Quartier. The President of Djoliba AC, re-elected in 2009 to a four-year term, is Karounga Keita, a Vice President of the Malian Football Federation, former trainer at the club, who was a player at the founding of the club in 1960.Karounga Keita re-elected president of Djoliba FC of Bamako . PANA Press, 31 March 2009 Djoliba or Joliba is the name of the Niger River in the Bamana language. Not only a football club, Djoliba AC is an Omnisports club which fields teams in many sports, and is operated as a membership organisation with an elected board.Assemblée générale du Djoliba : un nouveau bail pour KAROUNGA KEÏTA . l'Essor n15891 – 2007-02-12
History The club was created in 1960 with the merger of "Africa Sport" Bamako and "Foyer du Soudan", two successful teams during French Colonial rule.
The team was helped a lot during the 1970s by officer Tiécoro Bagayoko, a prominent member of the ruling military dictatorship of president Moussa Traoré. Many critics of Djoliba AC, especially coming from the rival Stade Malien, claim that the strength of the club was built during that period.
However, Bagayoko was gone in 1978 after his arrest, yet Djoliba kept winning titles and cups. Today, it is reputed to be the biggest and the most organized soccer club in Mali.
Malien Première Division 2007/08 2008 was a year of great success for Djoliba, having finished the year before in second place to their cross-town rivals, Djoliba handily took the cup and league double in 2008. Reigning champions from the 2007 Malien Première Division, Stade and Djoliba sat atop the standings the entire season, with Djoliba leading by a small but consistent margin in the run up to the final games. Their 7 July derby match was postponed to August, and although they lost this match, their rivals, Stade, faltered where Djoliba were consistent, finishing the season 9 points ahead of Stade. The only Cup meeting between the two rivals in the season was in the semi-finals of the Malien Cup, where Stade received a 5–0 drubbing at the hands of Djoliba.rsssf.org Mali 2008 (Last updated: 4 September 2008) Djoliba-Stade (5–0) : La grande humiliation ! , Le Républicain, 04/08/2008.
Bamako District Mayor's Cup Djoliba's one failure came at the end of the season, losing the "Coupe du Maire du District": the Bamako District Mayor's Cup to arch rivals Stade Malien. But while Stade made it to the final, its victory over Djoliba came from legal, rather than on the field factors. In the 44th minute of the match, Djoliba supporters rioted, attacking officials, other fans, and journalists. The match was called off, and several days later, awarded to Stade. Djoliba were fined 500.000 F cfa, all payments for previous matches were withdrawn, and they were excluded from the 2009 competition. Stade received the trophy and a 750,000 F Cfa award from the Mayor of Bamako Adama Sangaré on 23 September.Coupe du Maire du District : Le Stade reçoit son trophée . L'Essor, 24 September 2008
2008/09 Season Djoliba competed in 2008–09 Malian Première Division, beginning in December 2008. They began the season successfully, taking the Super Coupe National du Mali on 6 December against Club Olympique de Bamako 5–2. The Super Coupe launches the regular schedule by pitting the previous years' League and Cup winners. As Djoliba won both, they faced last years' Coupe du Mali runner up, COB.Le Djoliba s’adjuge la Super Coupe du Mali de football . APA News, 7 December 2008.
Djoliba AC today In 2010, Djoliba celebrated its 50th anniversary of the merger and foundation of the club.
Their last championship win was in 2012 and their last super cup win was in 2013.
Djoliba appeared at group stage in the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup, they challenged with AC Léopards of the Republic of the Congo, Morocco's WAC Casablanca and brought Mali's largest rivalry to the cup competition, Stade Malien, Djoliba defeat that club in two matches. Djoliba advanced to the semis and defeated a Sudanese club and challenged with AC Léopard's in the finals and lost to that club, there, they made the greatest position in the continental competitions for Djoliba.
In the 2017 season, Djoliba was 8th place and had two wins and a draw and had seven points before the abandonment as FEMAFOOT was dissolved by the government mainly by an undetermined reason on 9 March, over a week later, FIFA suspended the Malian Football Federation on 17 March which meant all Malian clubs competing at the continental level were banned until 7 May. The reason was that money that the Ministry of Sport gave to the clubs. The least problem of the
Djoliba appeared in the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup and faced Egypt's al-Masry. Djoliba defeated that club 2–0, as a result of the March 2017 dissolution by the government, al-Masry was awarded against Djoliba 0–3 in the away match somewhere on 18 March. The season was halted and in early May, the Federation was restored, their next challenge would be with Kita, that 6th round match is on hold. Their first challenge since the restoration was on 8 May, a 7th round match where the club defeated Black Stars 0–5 in Badalabougou.
Stadium Djoliba plays at Stade 26 Mars. The club trains at Complex Sportif Hérémakono, in the Heremakono Quartier.
Rivalries Its rivalry is with Stade Malien forming the nation's largest rivalry known as the Grand Derby. Real Bamako is Djoliba's other rivalry being called the Bamako Derby and the nation's second largest.
Honours League Malien Première Division Winners (25): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2025–26
Cup Malien Cup Winners (21): 1965, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2022, 2026 Super Coupe National du Mali Winners (8): 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2024
League and cup history Performance in CAF competitions
Competition Matches W D L GF GA African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League 76 30 20 26 CAF Confederation Cup 54 20 15 19 CAF Cup Winners' Cup 22 9 8 6 CAF Cup 16 6 1 7 17 16 Total 168 63 44 56
+ Djoliba's results in CAF competition Season Competition Qualification method Round Opposition Home Away Aggregate1967African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsSecond Round Invincible Eleven w/o1Quarterfinals Hafia FC2–10–0 2–1Semifinals Hearts of Oak1–12–1 2–11972African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsFirst Round ASFA Ouagadougou1–01–3 4–1Second Round ASFA Dakar2–02–0 2–2 2Quarterfinals Hafia FC2–13–0 2–41974African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsSecond Round Bendel Insurance2–01–0 2–1Quarterfinals CARA Brazzaville0–03–0 2–11975African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsSecond Round Mighty Blackpool2–00–1 3–0Quarterfinals Lomé1–13–2 3–41976African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsFirst Round Real de Banjul2–00–2 4–0Second Round Hafia FC2–12–0 2–31977African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsFirst Round UDIB5–00–1 6–0Second Round SC Gagnoa1–11–3 4–2Quarter-Finals Lomé2–01–0 2–131980African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsFirst Round AS Niamey2–00–1 3–0Second Round Hearts of Oak1–11–0 1–21981CAF Cup Winners' CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round RC Daloa1–02–12–2 (a)Second Round AC Semassi3–00–14–0Quarterfinals Gor Mahia FC2–01–02–1Semifinals Stationery Stores0–01–00–11982CAF Cup Winners' CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round Requins de l'Atlantique FC1–00–01–0Second Round Union Douala3–00–14–0Quarterfinals AS Vita Club1–00–01–0Semifinals Power Dynamos FC0–02–11–2 1983 African Cup of Champions Clubs Malian championsFirst Round Hafia FC0–01–0 0–11984CAF Cup Winners' CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round Great Olympics0–40–00–41985CAF Cup Winners' CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round MP Oran0–02–00–21989African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsFirst Round Horoya AC1–00–0 1–0Second Round Mighty Blackpool0–01–2 1–21991African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsPreliminary Round ASC Port Autonome1–00–0 1–0First Round Club Africain0–02–0 0–21992CAF CupFirst Round USC Bobo Dioulasso2–11–02–2 (a)1993African Cup of Champions ClubsMalian championsPreliminary Round ASC Sonader Ksar1–01–1 2–1First Round ASEC Mimosas1–12–0 1–31994CAF Cup Winners' CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round NA Hussein Dey0–02–00–21995CAF CupFirst Round SM Sanga Balende2–01–02–1Second Round Shooting Stars2–01–02–1Quarterfinals Inter Brazzaville0–21–21–3 1997 CAF Champions League Malian championsFirst Round Club Africain1–13–2 3–4 1998 CAF Champions League Malian championsFirst Round Hearts of Oak0–01–0 0–12000CAF Champions LeagueMalian championsFirst Round Cotonsport Garoua2–03–1 3–3 (a)Second Round Raja Casablanca2–12–1 2–1 (2–4 p)2002CAF CupFirst Round NPA FC3–02–14–2Second Round Maranatha FC1–02–12–2 (a)Quarterfinals JS Kabylie0–02–11–22003CAF CupFirst Round FC 105 Libreville3–13–03–4 2005 CAF Champions League Malian championsFirst Round Douanes (Dakar)1–11–0 1–22008CAF Confederation CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round Satellite FC2–01–02–1Second Round AS Mangasport3–11–25–2Third Round Club Africain0–00–00–0 (3–5 p)2010CAF Champions LeagueMalian championsPreliminary Round Al-Ahly Benghazi1–00–0 1–0First Round ASC Linguère1–01–0 1–1 (4–3 p)Second Round TP Mazembe0–13–0 0–4CAF Confederation CupMalian Cup winnersSecond Round CR Belouizdad0–01–1 1–1 (a)Group Stage4 Al-Hilal Club2–02–13rd AS FAN1–00–0 Al-Ittihad Tripoli0–12–02011CAF Champions LeagueMalian championsFirst Round East End Lions2–00–2 4–0Second Round ASC Diaraf1–13–0 1–42012CAF Champions LeaguePremiere Division runner-upFirst Round URA SC2–00–2 4–0Second Round Sunshine Stars1–11–0 1–2CAF Confederation CupMalian Cup winnersRound of 16 Club Africain2–02–0 2–2 (4–3 p)Group Stage4 AC Léopards1–13–01st Stade Malien2–12–0 WAC Casablanca2–11–2Semifinals Al-Hilal Club2–02–0 2–2 (7–6 p)Finals AC Léopards2–22–1 3–4 2013 CAF Champions League Premier Division runner-upFirst Round Saint George SA1–12–1 2–32015CAF Confederation CupMalian Cup winnersFirst Round Petrojet2–21–24–3Second Round Hearts of Oak1–20–12–2 (a) 2017 CAF Confederation Cup Malian Cup winnersPreliminary Round al-Masry2–03–042–32018CAF Confederation CupMalian Cup winnersPreliminary Round ELWA United w/o5First Round APR F.C.1–02–12–2(a)Play-off Round MFM F.C.0–00–11–0 Group Stage Enyimba F.C.0–12–0 4th CARA Brazzaville2–01–0 Williamsville AC1–10–0 2018–19 CAF Confederation Cup Malian Cup runners-upPreliminary Round Génération Foot0–10–00–12019–20CAF Confederation CupMalian Cup runners-upFirst Round Maranatha FC1–11–23–2 Play-off Round Elect-Sport FC4–01–05–0 Group Stage Horoya0–01–0 3rd Al-Nasr0–11–1 Bidvest Wits1–00–2 2022–23 CAF Champions League Malian championsFirst Round Deportivo Mongomo5–0 2–05–2Second Round CR Belouizdad2–12–02–3
1Invincible Eleven withdrew 2 The match was finished 2-0 in favour of Djoliba, ASFA refused to play the penalty shootout due to arbitration, they were to be banned from CAF competitions for three years, no ban was put as ASFA Dakar participated the following season after winning their second championship title 3Djoliba was disqualified for not paying their debts to the CAF 4FIFA suspended the Malian Football Federation on 17 March 2017 which meant all Malian clubs such as Djoliba were banned from participating in African football competitions, in early May, the suspension has been lifted. 5Djoliba won on walkover after ELWA United withdrew.
WAFU Club Championship