Season ends for Mali’s Mahamadou Doumbia in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi club Al-Ittihad and the Mali national team have suffered a major blow. Mahamadou Doumbia will be sidelined for nearly six months.

The reason? Mahamadou Doumbia has suffered a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
The 21-year-old midfielder is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, missing around half a year. His season is officially over.

The Al-Ittihad midfielder sustained this devastating injury on March 18 during the Saudi King's Cup semi-final, which his team lost (2-2, 5-4 on penalties) to Al-Kholood. He started the match but was forced off after just 12 minutes and was rushed to the hospital.

"After medical examinations, Eagles team doctor Dr. Khalidou Maiga was informed that the results confirmed a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in the right knee. Surgery is scheduled for the coming days." This was announced by the Mali Football Federation.

Since his arrival in September 2025 from Royal Antwerp, Mahamadou Doumbia has quickly established himself as a key player in Al-Ittihad’s midfield.

Nafongo TRAORE |

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Nafongon Moussa TRAORE, Burkinabè de 25 ans, est passionné de football, est rédacteur pour Foot Africa et commentateur pour BurkiFoot.