Malian international Diadie dreams big with Hoffenheim

Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim defensive midfielder Diadie Samassekou has urged African footballers to be keen on their character, work ethic and ambitions if they want to play at the highest level.

“You need to be a good player first. If you are not good, nobody will take you, especially clubs outside your country. Secondly, keep your focus in check and try as hard as you can not to lose yourself in your job and the attention it comes with and finally you have to show scouts and fans that you are there for something and that is where your character is really important.

Being a good player with poor character will not get you anywhere,” he said during a Zoom interview from Hoffenheim.

The 26-year-old Malian player signed a five year deal with the German top-flight side  in 2019.

In the 2021/22 season that ended on May 14, 2022, TSG Hoffenheim finished ninth with 46 points as Diadie scored twice from 34 matches.

Bayern Munich retained their title after finishing top with 77 points.

“Scoring is a new feeling for me. For a long time I was used to just defending and I enjoyed that bit, but now helping my teammates get a goal is becoming more important and the most difficult part of my job. But I admit that it’s better to score than to help win a goal, and I aim for that even in the coming seasons,” he added.

He moved to Austria at the age of 19 from Bamako, and played for Austrian Second Division side FC Liefering in the 2015/2016 season.

In 2016, he moved to Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga where he stayed for three seasons, scoring just once and provided four assists.

In November 2019, he joined TSG Hoffenheim for 14 million Euros (Sh1.7 billion).

“I was really young when I moved to Europe, but I had the chance to start in very good teams like Red Bull Salzburg. They have a good integrated team and they do their best to make you feel comfortable.

“I learnt English and German really fast and then the rest was easier. Of course when you move from your country, the goal is to show your family what you came here for. The most difficult part of it was the cold weather, but after a while, you get used to it and you notice that you are not the only one adjusting,” he said.

Diadie horned his football skills from the Jean-Marc Guillou (JMG) Academy in Bamako alongside his countryman Amadou Haidara, currently playing for RB Leipzig.

The 5’9 player has vast experience in the game having played for the Malian U-20 team that finished third in the U20 World Cup, the U-23 team and the Malian senior team in the 2019 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

He also played 24 UEFA Europa League matches over two seasons, helping the team reach the semifinals in the 2017/2018 season and the last 16 in the following season.

“Playing in the Europa League was not only one of my best seasons, but also the team’s because we played amazing football. I spent four years with Red Bull Salzburg and it took me a long time to show my best and from this, you can actually see that each season I’m getting better than before and this year I started scoring some goals so now I want more,” he told Nation Sport.

In the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), Mali were eliminated in the Round of 16 following a 6-5 penalty shoot-out loss to Equatorial Guinea.  

“From my Afcon experience I think we have a lot of good teams in Africa like Senegal who are doing really well especially with some of their players from the English Premier League. But there are also some countries like Cameroon and Ghana that are always strong even when you think they are not that good.

In the end they are like Real Madrid. They know how to win things and at the end they always qualify for the big tournaments,” he said.

Diadie, who credits Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo as his role model, has his sights on playing in the Uefa Champions League.