Aigles du Mali: Mahamadou Doumbia leaves the squad to finalize his transfer to Al Ittihad Club | OneFootball

Doumbia leaves the Eagles' training camp to undergo his medical in Paris

Mahamadou Doumbia

Mahamadou Doumbia has left the Mali national team camp to travel to Paris and finalize his transfer to Al Ittihad Club. The 21-year-old midfielder is set to undergo his medical before signing a four-to-five-year contract with the Saudi club.

The Bamako-trained player is preparing to leave Royal Antwerp FC for good after just two seasons in Belgium. The deal is expected to bring in between 19 and 20 million euros for the Antwerp club, which signed the young Malian for only 700,000 euros in September 2023. This is a massive profit, highlighting the rapid rise of the Bamako native.

The timing of this transfer coincides with matchdays 7 and 8 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, a crucial period for the Aigles du Mali. The player had to leave the national team camp to focus on the final steps of his move to Saudi Arabia.

The Malian international joined Antwerp from his youth club, Stade Malien de Bamako. He made his Belgian Pro League debut on January 28, 2024, against KAS Eupen, and immediately made an impression in his second match. His steady progress and convincing performances quickly caught the attention of scouts from both Europe and the Middle East.