Senegal

Issiar Dia chooses Senegal…

While a lot of senegalese people are still a little upset by Bafétimbi Gomis’s choice to go play for France after having been wined and dined for so long by different Senegal coaches, a good news popped up in the latest list of 22 published for the next World Cup Qualifyers against Algeria. Issiar Dia, one of Nancy’s little prodigies and France U-21 international, has decided after all to come back and play for us. It’s funny that in the same week two players decided against their previous choices. Bafé Gomis never played for France in the younger teams and decided to wait until the first one manifested while Issiar Dia has caps for every single french youth team, having gone through Clairefontaine with the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and Abou Diaby.
The very tiny and fast left winger has been likened to other pocket-rockets such as Baky Koné and Franck Ribéry. He has been touted as one of the most promising prospect Nancy has ever seen by none other than Michel Platini’s dad Aldo.
Issiar my boy, I thought I’d never see you in senegalese kit! We’re incredibly haoppy and proud to have you play for us.
Here are the 22 players selected for the next WC qualifiers: Missing are Mamadou Niang (who’s not sure if he’s willing to ver come back), Souleymane Diawara (who claims to be exhausted and doesn’t want to come until next season), Habib Beye and Lamine Diatta (who did not please withing the new staff with both their declatrations apparently).

Keepers:
Tony Sylva (Lille)
Bouna Coundoul (Colorado Rapids, MLS)
Abdoulaye Coulibaly (St-Etienne, France)

Defenders:
Pascal Mendy (Kaunnas, Lituanie),
Cheikh Guèye (Metz, France)
Pape Malickou Diakhaté (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine)
Ibrahima Sonko (Reading, England)
Abdoulaye Diagne Faye (Newcastle, England)
Guirane Ndaw (Sochaux, France)
Ibrahima Faye (Troyes, France)

Midfielders:
Moustapha Bayal Sall (St-Etienne, France)
Pape Malick Bâ (FC Bâle, Suisse)
Ousmane Ndoye (FC Vaslui, Roumanie)
Pape Waïgo Ndiaye (Fiorentina, Italie)
Babacar Guèye (Metz, France)
Frédéric Mendy (Bastia, France)
Diomansy Kamara (Fulham, England)
Kader Mangane (Lens, France)

Strikers:
El Hadj Diouf (Bolton, England)
Henri Camara (West Ham, England)
Pape Modou Sougou (Leiria, Portugal)
Issiar Dia (Nancy, France).