Ibrahim Diakite earned the TotalEnergies Man of the Match title following Guinea’s 1-0 triumph over Equatorial Guinea, a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in delivering the cross that led to Mohamed Bayo’s goal in added time.
In a post-match press conference, Diakite celebrated the historic victory, emphasizing its significance as the first time since 1976 that Guinea has secured a win in the knockout stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Declaring the victory as a historic achievement, Diakite expressed, “This victory is historic; no one has managed to do that in history. This victory is for the people who have suffered for a long time.”
The Le Havre striker now harbors aspirations of going all the way in the tournament, stating, “We are very happy; it was hard, and we managed to hold on until the end. I hope we will continue like this and go to the end.”
Reflecting on the match, Diakite acknowledged a challenging first half but credited the coach’s encouragement to persevere, leading to eventual opportunities.
“We had a complicated first half, we couldn’t get our game going. The coach told us to keep pushing because sooner or later, there would be opportunities and that’s what we managed to do.”
He praised his teammates, asserting that the entire team could have been awarded the Man of the Match trophy, emphasizing the collective excellence displayed in the game.
“The whole team could have had the Man of the Match trophy. Everyone was very good but what is even more important is that we are qualified” he concluded.
Concluding his remarks, Diakite dedicated the Man of the Match award to his mother.
