Latest news with #MamaDiop
CAF
21 hours ago
- Sport
- CAF
Mama Diop, a Red-Hot Lioness
It only took two flashes of lightning. Two crisp strikes, sleek bodywork and complete control of the opponent's box. In an hour of play, Mama Diop transformed the green rectangle of the El Bachir stadium in Mohammedia into a territory under control. Against the Democratic Republic of Congo (4-0), the Senegalese striker did not just shine: she radiated, electrified the stands, and shattered the Congolese defense. Voted TotalEnergies Woman of the Match, the 30-year-old Lioness delivered a recital that read like a manifesto. A touch of Rashidi Yekini There is something timeless about Mama Diop's style. A very particular way of sensing the goal. Of haunting the box. Of making her stature (1.85m) a constant threat. Powerful, ferocious, sharp in her movements, deliberate in her final move, the former RC Lens player seems inhabited by a collective memory. That of Africa's great nines. That of Rashidi Yekini. "I did not know him, but I know Rashidi Yekini is a legend," she breathes, her gaze fixed and her smile wry. "If my style can resemble his, it is a huge honour. But I want to write my own chapter." The opposite is true. Like Yekini, Nigeria's legendary goalscorer and scorer of the Super Eagles' first World Cup goal (1994), Mama Diop does not mince words. She does not mince her words. She is lethal in her approach. Her game is frontal, vertical, raw. She does not dribble to seduce, she eliminates to strike. With a fixed gaze and a confident gait, she marches toward the goal like a wild beast toward its prey. "I like to feel like I'm scary in the box," she says bluntly. "That is where I feel alive. Where I can give my all." The Lionesses' coach, Mame Moussa Cissé, does not hide his admiration: "She is a player who attracts everyone. A gravitational force. She commands immediate respect. And when she is having a good day, it is immediately evident." Silence and rigor 'In the locker room, we do not hear her often. But we always watch her. Mama Diop is one of those players who speaks little and hits hard. First to warm up, last to leave the weight room. An obsessive professional, attentive, disciplined, and uncompromising with herself. "She's a true Lioness," reveals Ndeye Awa Diakhaté. "She pushes you to surpass yourself. She does not give up. When she is there, you know that nothing is impossible." Bred and trained in Senegal, discovered in France, and played for Toulouse, Arras, Orléans, and then Lens, the Olympique de Marseille striker had no shortcuts. She had to earn her place and make a name for herself. Objective: Top of the scorers' rankings Two goals against DR Congo, a technical and physical demonstration, and above all, a clear message: Mama Diop did not come here to play catchup. At 30, the Guéréo native wants to make history, to write her name at the top. And why not finish as the tournament's top scorer? "When I start a competition, it is to go all the way. Team or individual trophies are what keep me going." Wednesday against Zambia, led by Barbra Banda—another giant of African Football and a formidable striker—a top scorer is looming. A high-intensity duel. Diop knows the stakes. And the anticipation. "I have a lot of respect for Banda but I will take this match as a personal challenge. If I want to be the best, this is the kind of match I have to dominate." Mama Diop is more than just a striker. She is a statement. The statement of African Women's Football that is emancipating itself, asserting itself, and establishing its own role models. If Rashidi Yekini's roar is history, Mama Diop's no longer evokes a promise: it heralds an era.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Senegal brush DR Congo aside at Wafcon
Mama Diop helped Senegal reach the quarter-finals of the 2022 edition of Wafcon [Getty Images] Senegal produced a first-half demolition of DR Congo to register a comfortable 4-0 win and move top of Group A at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco. Played in searing heat in Mohammedia, the only early afternoon kick-off of the tournament was effectively over as a contest even before the first cooling break. Advertisement Forwards Mama Diop and Ngeunar Ndiaye both scored two goals before half-time as the powerful Lionesses of Teranga frontline ripped into a fragile and disorganised rearguard. The first three goals, all netted inside the opening 22 minutes, all came from simple long balls in behind the DR Congo defence. The West Africans cruised through a goalless second half in which their opponents were marginally more competitive, with both sides hitting the woodwork. Following the 2-2 draw between Morocco and Zambia in Saturday's opening fixture, Senegal have the chance to book a place in the quarter-finals against the Zambians back in Mohammedia on Wednesday (16:00 GMT). Advertisement On the same day DR Congo will hope to improve as they face the hosts in Rabat (19:00 GMT).
CAF
a day ago
- Sport
- CAF
Diop and Ndiaye lead Senegal to commanding win in WAFCON opener
Published: Sunday, 06 July 2025 Senegal laid down a marker in Group A of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations with a commanding 4-0 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in Mohammedia. A brace each by Mama Diop and Nguenar Ndiaye in the first half helped the Lionesses of Teranga to the emphatic victory in their first match of this year's competition. Coming into the tournament with rising expectations after reaching the quarter-finals in 2022, Senegal wasted no time asserting their dominance. The Lionesses overwhelmed DR Congo with a relentless first-half display that saw them race into a four-goal lead by the 40th minute, leaving the returning Congolese side shell-shocked. The breakthrough came as early as the fifth minute when striker Mama Diop latched onto a through ball from Méta Kandé and rifled a powerful effort into the roof of the net from distance. It was an early blow to DR Congo's hopes, and it set the tone for a dominant Senegalese display. Nguenar Ndiaye doubled the advantage in the 13th minute, coolly finishing from the centre of the box after a pinpoint pass from goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye. The tempo and movement of Senegal's attack proved too much for the Congolese backline, who struggled to contain the waves of pressure. By the 22nd minute, Mama Diop had her second — and Senegal's third — with a composed finish into the bottom corner, capitalising on a defensive lapse. The fourth came just before the interval, as Ndiaye rose unmarked to head home from a Hapsatou Diallo cross, completing her brace and wrapping up a ruthless first half. To their credit, DR Congo regrouped after the break and created several opportunities, hitting the woodwork through Flavine Mawete and forcing Senegal goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye into a string of fine saves. Gloria Mabomba and Naomie Kabakaba also tested the keeper, but a goal eluded the Leopardesses. Senegal eased off the gas in the second half, rotating players and managing the game comfortably as they protected their clean sheet. The result sees them go top of Group A, ahead of Morocco and Zambia who played out a 2-2 draw in the opening game. For DR Congo, back at WAFCON after a 12-year absence, this was a harsh reminder of the level required to compete. Their next fixture becomes a must-win if they are to keep qualification hopes alive. Senegal, meanwhile, look every bit like quarter-final contenders once again.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Senegal brush DR Congo aside at Wafcon 2024
Senegal produced a first-half demolition of DR Congo to register a comfortable 4-0 win and move top of Group A at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in in searing heat in Mohammedia, the only early afternoon kick-off of the tournament was effectively over as a contest even before the first cooling Mama Diop and Ngeunar Ndiaye both scored two goals before half-time as the powerful Lionesses of Teranga frontline ripped into a fragile and disorganised first three goals, all netted inside the opening 22 minutes, all came from simple long balls in behind the DR Congo West Africans cruised through a goalless second half in which their opponents were marginally more competitive, with both sides hitting the the 2-2 draw between Morocco and Zambia in Saturday's opening fixture, Senegal have the chance to book a place in the quarter-finals against the Zambians back in Mohammedia on Wednesday (16:00 GMT).On the same day DR Congo will hope to improve as they face the hosts in Rabat (19:00 GMT).
