• 21-year-old Senegalese striker Bamba Dieng scored his first goals for Olympique Marseille against Monaco in Ligue 1 last Saturday, scoring a brace. 

  • He came from FC Diambars, a Senegalese club with which Olympique de Marseille has formed a partnership. 

A jubilant locker room to celebrate a man: "Bamba Dieng, Bamba Dieng, Bamba Dieng", as the players and members of the staff of the Olympique de Marseille sing. The final whistle of the meeting between Monaco and Marseille has just sounded when the OM striker is celebrated in unison. The 21-year-old Senegalese has just offered victory to his club by scoring a double. His first two goals in Ligue 1, after unlocking his counter with OM in the Coupe de France, against Auxerre last February.

A performance celebrated all the way to Senegal, and more particularly to Diambars FC, its training club. " What joy ! What pride ”, savors Saer Seck, president of the club. "We waited for him to have his chance with a few minutes of play. It was not a gift at the start, an away game, which is more against Monaco, but Bamba is a boy who is not afraid, who is not self-conscious. He is sure of his qualities, calm and determined. We had discussed a little, and he had perceived that he could start the match, ”continues the president.

Since the arrival of Jorge Sampaoli his playing time has remained relatively low, after several appearances with Nasser Larguet, the interim coach following the departure of André Villas Boas.

“He's an easy guy, with good finishing potential.

He is skilful in front of goal, ”we quickly detected in the OM training center where he arrived in 2020.

Strong minded

In Senegal, after more than a year without playing due to a knee injury, he returns, scores four goals and delivers four assists.

“But it's mostly the following year, he scores 16 goals in 17 games.

He is a scorer who never doubts and who has great mental strength, ”says Saer Seck.

A mental strength that he was able to build on Saturday, after a first failure, then two hits on the post.

As everyone saw him down the hole he finally opened the scoring a few minutes later.

“I was watching the game with one of my kids and told him I knew he was going to score.

His strikes on the post were difficult situations, but I was sure that at the next opportunity he would put it in the back, ”said Saer Seck.

"He can become a world class striker"

The president of Diambars FC has never doubted his former player, and even praised his qualities to Jacques-Henri Eyraud, the former president of OM at the origin of the partnership between the two clubs. “I was absolutely convinced of his qualities and I offered him to Eyraud, telling him that if he made him work and gave him a chance, he would score. It was certain that if he played, he would crash. He has a good shot, speed, he is not afraid, multiplies initiatives, swallows spaces, offers depth of play ”, list Saer Sadek, who bet with Bamba Dieng that he would one day be worth 100 millions of euros. “He can become a world class striker. If he succeeds in Marseille, he will have the opportunity to go to a European top club, and if he scores goals he will quickly be worth 100 million, ”he repeats.

We are still far there, Bamba Dieng had a contract as an aspiring player whose salary is estimated at around 2,000 euros per month, and OM could have let him go for 5 million.

He was also to meet the Olympians leaders just before the match against Monaco, before the meeting was postponed to the beginning of the week.

A few days earlier, he initialed a sponsorship contract with Adidas.

"He still has to confirm"

“I didn't even have to advise him much, he stays calm in his head. He scored twice in an important game, sure, but he hasn't done anything great yet, he has yet to confirm. For the fruits to translate the promises of the flowers, he must remain focused, ”warns Sader Seck. Confirmation could come this Thursday since OM are starting their European season in Moscow, in the Europa League, and Milik, the starting striker, is not in the group, still too soon after his knee injury.

Other promises could follow the same path as Bamba Dieng, since the partnership formed in 2019, and which should initially end in the summer of 2022, should be extended by the two clubs according to our information.

And by then, FC Diambars defender Mikayil Ngor Faye will put his bags down at OM, once he turns 18, again in the summer of 2022.

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