West Ham United’s El Hadji Malick Diouf was recently involved in one of the most dramatic international finals of all time.
Diouf won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and the West Ham United star is ready to return to club duty when Nuno Espirito Santo’s side play Sunderland on Saturday.
That is a reflection on the relentless schedule modern day footballers face and while the Sunderland game is a huge one for West Ham, it’s unlikely to make as many headlines around the world as the AFCON final.
Why would we keep an unhappy player 😂
What does this tell you about the decision making behind the scenes?!
The drama all started with Diouf. He was adjudged to have fouled Morocco’s Brahim Diaz towards the end of normal time, though the penalty decision saw the Senegal players storm off in protest.
After a lengthy delay, Sadio Mane urged his teammates back on the field. Diaz then took the penalty and missed dreadfully, before Senegal went on to win it in extra-time.
It was one of the most controversial finals in recent history, and Diouf has now opened up on it.
Malick Diouf reflects on AFCON 2025 final
The defender was speaking to West Ham’s official website.
He reflected on the drama of the final and stressed that he knew that Senegal would emerge victorious as soon as Diaz missed his spot-kick.
“The final was really crazy, but there were a lot of things that happened, such as the goal we had disallowed, their penalty, and the decision we took. I think, for me, it’s the past, but it was definitely crazy,” he said.
How much money would it take for you to sell Lucas Paqueta? 🤔
“I was worried [when the penalty was given], for sure, but when they (Morocco) missed it, I knew we were going to win. They were starting to doubt themselves, and they thought about it too much. They played at home, but it wasn’t a problem.
“It was a little bit difficult, but we had the ball, and we were able to win the game.”
Malick Diouf becomes the fifth AFCON winner to play for West Ham
Diouf is an AFCON winner and follows in a reasonably long line of African champions to play for West Ham.
The defender becomes the fifth player to have done so, after Rigobert Song, Marc-Vivien Foé, Victor Obinna and Sebastien Haller.
It will be fascinating to see what level of impact winning the AFCON has on Diouf.
He made a fine start to his career in east London but his form had tailed off by the time he departed for the tournament.
With Ollie Scarles impressing of late, it will be interesting to see whether he comes back into the starting lineup.
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