Amad hoping to realise AFCON dream ahead of Egypt quarter-final

Manchester United’s Amad Diallo is hoping to realise his dream of leading Ivory Coast to glory during his first taste of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Ivory Coast are into the quarter-finals of the competition after finishing top of Group F with seven points, before comfortably beating Burkina Faso 3-0 in the round of 16.

Amad scored in that victory, his third goal in four matches at AFCON. Indeed, only Laurent Pokou (eight in 1970 and six in 1968) and Joel Tiehi (four in 1994 and 1998) have netted more for Ivory Coast in a single edition.

He also became the first Ivorian to both score a goal and deliver an assist in an AFCON knockout match since Yaya Toure in 2012, and he will aim to kick on from here.

The 23-year-old is representing his nation for the first time at the competition, having missed the 2023 edition, which Ivory Coast won, due to sustaining an injury.

“Of course. As I say, this is my first AFCON. It’s a dream come true for me,” Amad told Stats Perform when asked if he was looking to make up for lost time in this edition.

“It was disappointing for me to miss the one in the Ivory Coast, but I was very happy when they won the Africa Cup.

“And today, I’m here, I’m among the selected players to take part in my first AFCON. I’m very happy, and I try to give the maximum of myself in every match.”

Ivory Coast beat Nigeria 2-1 in the last AFCON final two years ago to win their third title, and they could create a bit of history should they lift the crown again this year.

Indeed, they would become the first team since Egypt, who won three AFCONs in a row between 2006 and 2010, to go back-to-back in the competition.