Paris (AFP)

Long in slow motion after thunderous beginnings, the "machine" Idrissa Gueye restarts: the Senegalese, commissioned to stabilize the midfield of PSG as to seduce African fans, seems to have found some movement before facing Lyon Sunday in L1 ( 9:00 p.m.) then Dortmund in the Champions League in mid-February.

To understand the trajectory of the Senegalese international (30 years old) in Paris, we have to go back to his booming debut in the Champions League against Real Madrid (3-0) last September. An inaugural scene that looks like a masterpiece ... unfinished.

Idrissa Gana Gueye, the least glamorous summer rookie on paper, had been omnipresent in the midfield, like an N'Golo Kanté. What cause a rain of compliments around the world, and the start of a "Gana mania" with supporters.

"We fought to recruit him. He's a machine! He never stops running, he made a lot of recoveries," said Parisian coach Thomas Tuchel after the match.

"He's a monster! He does us a lot of good. Besides being a" charcoal burner ", he is also technically good. We can be very proud to have him on our team," added teammate Presnel Kimpembe, also under the spell.

And yet, the beautiful promises seen in C1 by the former Lille (2010-2015) have not been confirmed, like a very disappointing performance in the return match at the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium (2-2) at the end November, when the Parisian midfield had suffered the law of Madrid in intensity and commitment.

- New system -

"I am a human being, it happens to everyone to have a bit of slack. It is my case at the moment, he had admitted a few days later after the victory against Nantes (2-0). try to do my best, keep it as simple as possible, scratch the balloons even if it's not easy. It will pass. When it comes back, we will be there, even stronger. "

His muscular injury which occurred at the start of December in Montpellier (3-1), beyond a forced stoppage, allows him to find a second wind on recovery.

If the draw conceded against Monaco (3-3) at the beginning of January highlighted its difficulties of adaptation in the new system with two recuperators with Marco Verratti, while relaunching the idea of ​​a repositioning of Marquinhos, Gueye has managed to quickly end the debate.

Since this match, "Gana" accumulates the balls recovered from the feet of the opponents and the solid performances in the wake of an omnipotent PSG on the domestic scene with seven victories in seven matches.

Good sports news to be confirmed against Lyon on Sunday (9:00 p.m.), before the crucial trip to Dortmund in the knockout stages of the Champions League on February 18. And in terms of image for the main figurehead of PSG in Africa, in addition to global superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

- Documentary in Senegal -

Proof of its importance in the strategy of conquering PSG on the continent? The recent broadcast on the social networks of the club of a documentary immersion in Senegal, where he goes in particular to meet local fans.

In a traditionally pro-Olympic country of Marseille, the player trained at Diambars - an institute which has just signed a partnership with the Olympian club - has managed to divert several thousand of his compatriots from their passion for the contested rival of the PSG.

Since the signing of "Gana", the capital's club has indeed "won" nearly 850,000 additional "followers" on Instagram and 1.26 million on Facebook, according to PSG estimates. Better still, from 2016 to 2020, Paris grew from 18 to 27 official "Fan Clubs" in Africa with more than 1,200 members in total.

"We have touched new territory since the player was in Paris with a lot of interaction with people from the African continent," the club was told.

A global expansion strategy, already at work in North America and Asia, which also relies on financial partners such as the Rwanda Development Council - via the "Visit Rwanda" tourism program -, or the opening of two "academies" in Morocco and Egypt. Gueye now has to write the continuation of his Paris success story.

© 2020 AFP