Highlights

• 71,500 metres of planned drilling – 23,940m of auger, 15,000m of reverse circulation, 22,560m of diamond drilling, and 10,000m of aircore drilling.

• Fully funded 15-month exploration program – The recent PDI Gold financing, supported by Fortuna Mining and Newmont, provides Awalé with the funding to commence a systematic, large-scale exploration campaign across its 100%-owned Odienné ground.

• Fremen drilling to recommence following the wet season – Approximately 5,960m of diamond drilling planned for Q4, including 14 holes to test the scale of the discovery. Assays from seven previously drilled holes remain pending.

• Integrated aerial and ground geophysics to generate drill-ready pipeline – The program is designed to deliver a pipeline of ranked anomalies across the whole 100%-owned package, rather than focus on a single target.

• Work currently underway – 8,509 termitaria and soil samples collected at Seydou and Sama, together with a 1,440m scout aircore drill program over Anomaly 1 at Seydou.

• Exploration planned at the GB and Tienko permit applications – A further 12,015 surface geochemical samples and 4,400m of auger drilling are planned, subject to grant of permits.

• 15,000 metres reserved for discovery follow-up – 10,000m diamond and 5,000m RC drilling are held within the budget to rapidly follow up new discoveries generated by the program.

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 22, 2026) - Awalé Resources Limited (TSXV: ARIC) (OTCQX: AWLRF) (FSE: 2F60) ("Awalé" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of an 15-month regional exploration program across its 100%-owned ground at the Odienné Gold-Copper Project ("Odienné" or the "Project") in Côte d'Ivoire. The fully funded, US$8.5 million program comprises approximately 71,500 metres of drilling and 15,635 surface geochemical samples.

"Awalé's geologists are proven, discovery-driven explorers and mine finders, and we excel at this part of the business," said Andrew Chubb, President and CEO of Awalé Resources. "BBM, Charger, Empire, and now Fremen were all found the same way, by disciplined geology, geophysics and regional geochemistry, infill, and then drilling where the data supports it. Nothing glamourous, just dedicated people and boots on the ground across a district that we have consolidated. We are now able commit significant resources into our 100%-owned permits at the scale the package deserves.

"Our Odienné discoveries are not by accident; they are there for a reason. We are on a regional scale trend that that hosts multi-million-ounce gold camps in both Mali and Guinea, and which extends into our ground in Côte d'Ivoire. Importantly, we have the right mix of experienced people to find the next big gold camp.

"Rigs will be turning in Q4 after the monsoon rains and our geochemistry programs will continue where weather permits. As we push these programs, we have contingency in the budget, so that when something does come out from this pipeline, we can chase it immediately rather than wait for the next budget cycle. I am genuinely excited about what the next fifteen months could deliver."

The program will apply the same district scale targeting though systematic, geology-led exploration workflows that produced the Company's BBM, Charger, and Empire discoveries. Regional termitaria and soil geochemistry, with the introduction of auger drilling for accelerated staged infill and targeting followed by aircore (AC), reverse circulation (RC), and diamond (DD) testing. Work is already underway, with 8,509 termitaria and soil samples collected at Seydou and Sama.

Watch video of CEO Andrew Chubb Discussing the 100%-Owned Ground Program

Figure 1: Odienné Project - Permits and targets map

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A Proven Discovery Workflow

Every discovery Awalé has made at Odienné has come from the same sequence, applied systematically and in order:

1. Regional geochemistry and geophysics – Termitaria and soil sampling on 800m by 100m grids to define anomalies at district scale.

2. Staged infill – Anomalous zones infilled first to 400m and then to 200m and 100m line spacing. This stage will be accelerated through the use of auger drilling, with shallow auger transects designed to see through the transported cover that masks bedrock geochemistry across much of the district.

3. Aircore, RC, and diamond drilling – First-pass bedrock testing of auger-confirmed targets, with diamond drilling for structural and geometrical control.

This is the same sequence that advanced Fremen from a termitaria anomaly to a drilled discovery in three phases between June 2025 and May 2026, along with the BBM and Charger discoveries using the same targeting discipline.

Regional Setting – Highly Prospective Trend

Odienné lies on a craton-scale structural trend (Figure 2) that can be traced for more than 1,000 kilometres through Guinea and Mali. At Odienné that trend runs along the northern margin of the Archean Man Craton (3.5–2.6 Ga), and three elements coincide within the Project area: the craton margin itself; the margin of the Birimian deepwater basin to the north and north-east (2120–2080 Ma); and a suite of late I-A type plutonic rocks and volcanics emplaced along that same northern craton margin (2100–2060 Ma). Bi-modal volcanic rocks are developed locally.

The Company's 100%-owned permits straddle the contact between the plutonic-volcanic series and the deepwater basin sequence, and are cut by several of the regional structures that control mineralization elsewhere along the trend. The GB and Tienko applications extend that position north and west along the same structures.

That combination of a long-lived crustal structure, a craton-basin margin and a late intrusive suite is the architecture that hosts the major multi-million-ounce gold camps of the region. Deposits along the same trend include Barrick's Loulo-Gounkoto, AngloGold Ashanti's Siguiri, Allied Gold's Sadiola, PDI Gold's Bankan and Kiniero in Guinea, Nordgold's Lefa, Nioko Resources' Kouroussa, and Resolute Mining's ABC deposit, approximately 70 kilometres to the south.

Odienné is the least explored segment of this trend, and the Company's 100%-owned permits cover approximately 1,542 km² of it, or approximately two-thirds of the 2,338 km² Project package.

Figure 2: Regional Geology – Southwest African Craton, showing major gold camps on a regional scale structural trend

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Program Details

Table 1: Planned Drilling by Permit and Drill Type

Note: Planned metres are indicative and subject to results and rig and laboratory availability.

Table 2: Planned Surface Geochemistry

The 15-month exploration budget totals approximately US$8.5 million, including approximately US$5.5 million for drilling, US$2.2 million for drill sample analysis, and US$0.7 million surface geochemistry.

Qualified Person

The technical and scientific information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved for release by Andrew Chubb, the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Chubb is the Company's Chief Executive Officer and holds an Economic Geology degree, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), and is a Member of the Society of Economic Geoscientists (SEG). Mr. Chubb has over 25 years of experience in international mineral exploration and mining project evaluation.

About Awalé Resources

Awalé Resources is a diligent and systematic mineral exploration company focused on discovering large-scale gold and gold-copper deposits in Côte d'Ivoire. The Company's flagship Odienné Project now hosts an initial inferred Mineral Resource Estimate¹ of 1.71 million ounces gold equivalent across the BBM, Charger, and Empire deposits (32.4 Mt at 1.33 g/t Au and 0.33% Cu), providing a strong foundation for ongoing growth and future economic studies.

In addition to the current resource base defined on the joint venture ground, Awalé controls a 1,542 km² 100%-owned land position across the broader Odienné district, where multiple targets provide additional potential discovery upside. Across the Project, Awalé has identified multiple gold and gold-copper systems and continues to build a pipeline of targets with potential to support further discoveries and resource growth.

The Odienné Project covers 2,338 km² across seven permits, including 797 km² held under the Awalé-Newmont Joint Venture. Awalé manages exploration activities across the joint venture area.

With a skilled and experienced technical team, together with support from three strategic shareholders, Awalé is advancing exploration in an underexplored and pro-mining jurisdiction with clear potential for district-scale discoveries.

Abbreviations Used in this Release

AWALÉ Resources Limited
On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Andrew Chubb"
Chief Executive Officer

The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedarplus.ca. For further information on the Company, please visit our website at www.awaleresources.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plan, propose, potential, postulate, target, continue, advance and similar expressions, or are those which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's presence in Côte d'Ivoire and ability to achieve results, creation of value for Company shareholders, achievements under the Newmont exploration agreement, advancement and expansion of the Odienné Project, the potential size, scale and quality of the mineral resource estimate at BBM, Charger and Empire, the conversion or upgrading of inferred mineral resources, timing and results of future drilling programs, resource expansion potential at BBM, Charger and Empire, and exploration and discovery potential at Fremen and other targets, the potential for additional discoveries, expectations regarding the timing and completion of a preliminary economic assessment and advancement toward pre-feasibility studies, timing for receipt of assay results, commencement and continuation of operations, and the potential development of the Odienné Project. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the results of exploration and drilling programs, the interpretation of exploration and mineral resource results, changes in mineral resource estimates, the ability to convert inferred mineral resources to indicated mineral resources, the ability to complete future economic studies, fluctuations in commodity prices, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, delays in obtaining required regulatory, governmental, environmental or other project approvals, availability of financing, and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis and other continuous disclosure documents filed under the Company's profile at SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including, without limitation, that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected, that financing will be available on reasonable terms, and that exploration, development and study activities will proceed as currently planned. Although the Company believes the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

¹ The full Initial Mineral Resource Estimate news release dated May 19, 2026, including detailed assumptions and methodology, is available at www.awaleresources.com and SEDAR+ www.sedarplus.ca.

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