Present on the lists of the France Espoirs team and Senegal, on the same day, the unlikely destiny of Mamadou Diakhon, winger for Club Bruges, who appears to have made his choice.
You may have discovered him on January 28th, when he opened the scoring against Olympique de Marseille, on the 8th and final matchday of the Champions League group stage. Mamadou Diakhon played a key role in the brilliant success of Club Bruges against Marseille, who faced elimination that night (3-0). Three months earlier, the 20-year-old winger also caused trouble for Monaco, scoring the fourth and final goal in his team’s victory (4-1).
Originally from Reims, Diakhon played 28 matches in Ligue 1 last season (2 goals and 1 assist). After his club was relegated, he decided to leave Reims last summer to join Club Bruges for 9 million euros.
In the Venice of the North, the new number 67 has been performing well and has scored two goals and provided eleven assists in 32 matches across all competitions this season. This caught the eye of the France Espoirs team and their coach Gerald Baticle, who has chosen him for this international window. The Bleuets will play in the Euro 2027 qualifiers, facing Luxembourg away on March 26th and Iceland at home in Auxerre on March 30th.
Senegal as a choice
However, there is a problem for the French Football Federation, as Mamadou Diakhon has also been called up to the Senegal squad to face Peru in a friendly on March 28th at the Stade de France, as well as Gambia three days later at the Abdoulaye-Wade stadium in Diamniadio. Pape Thiaw, the Senegalese coach and recent winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, seems to have successfully attracted a new dual-national player to the Lions of Teranga. Born in Strasbourg to a Malian father and Senegalese mother, it is speculated that Diakhon could follow in the footsteps of Ibrahim Mbaye, a highly sought-after winger for PSG who joined Senegal before the AFCON.
So, what choice will the 20-year-old player make? Will he choose his country of birth, for which he has represented in youth teams, or his roots, which could potentially earn him a spot in the upcoming World Cup?
In a recent Instagram story last Thursday night, he left no doubt by posting a picture of himself in the Senegal jersey, with a Senegalese flag in the background. According to RMC Sport, the French Football Federation stated that Mamadou Diakhon, like all other players, received a pre-convocation before the announcement of the France Espoirs squad. At no point did the Club Bruges winger inform the French staff of a potential selection by Senegal.
This dilemma of dual-national players is becoming increasingly challenging for the Federation, as African countries like Morocco, Algeria, and Senegal are offering ambitious projects to younger players, pulling them away from the French system.
