foxsports
Cheick Diabate scored twice in a four-minute span to help Mali beat Cape Verde 3-0 Saturday and go top of its qualifying group for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
Diabate put Mali in control by scoring in the 27th and 30th minutes, and Mahamane Traore netted the third in the 50th with a right-footed shot from 10 meters (yards).
The win gives Mali the lead in Group A with nine points, two ahead of Cape Verde with one round to go.
Mali was boosted by the return of Barcelona star Seydou Keita, who had not played with the national team since the last African Cup in Angola in 2010.
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Mali captain Adama Coulibaly said ''the arrival of Seydou did us good. It's been a long time since we scored so many goals.''
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