Amad brushes off comparisons as Egypt clash looms
Manchester United's Amad Diallo is hoping to realise his dream of leading Cote d'Ivoire to glory during his first taste of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Diallo has impressed during his debut campaign, drawing comparisons to some of Cote d'Ivoire's top players like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. But he remains determined to forge his own path.
Manchester United attacker Amad has made just 15 appearances for Cote d'Ivoire since his debut in March 2021, but, at 23 years old, is already seen as one of the leaders among the group.
He has been directly involved in four goals – three goals and one assist – in his four matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, helping defending champion Cote d'Ivoire to reach the quarter-finals.
Heading into the last eight, only Nigeria's Ademola Lookman had more goal involvements (seven), while no player was involved in more shots than Amad (24 – 15 shots, nine chances created).
His performances so far have drawn comparisons to Cote d'Ivoire's record goalscorer Drogba as well as midfielder Yaya Toure, who helped the nation to its second AFCON title in 2015.
"I feel really good, relaxed, free [on the pitch]," Amad said when asked about his strong start to AFCON.
"I'm in a good place physically and mentally. I try to give the maximum of myself on the pitch.
"I'm here to be one of the offensive leaders. Comparisons with legends like Didier Drogba or Yaya Toure are impossible. They wrote their own history. They are legends of African and European football.
"I try to follow my own path, stay humble, and help my country win a fourth star."
Amad is playing at the AFCON for the first time, having missed Cote d'Ivoire's triumph two years ago because of injury.
He is keen not only to keep improving but also to help those around him after gaining more experience, not only at international level but also with United.
"It's true that I'm 23, but I've gained a lot of experience. Today, I'm one of the leaders of this team, and it gives me great pleasure to have that responsibility," he added.
"I try to give advice to the younger players, even though we're all young. I try to share some of the experience I've gained at Manchester United.
"I also tell them to stay humble, because that's what makes the difference between a good player and a great one. Staying humble, focused and concentrated in every match – that's what makes the difference, and that's what we're doing right now."
Cote d'Ivoire faces Egypt in the quarter-finals on Sunday (AEDT) with the hope of continuing its title defence and becoming the first team to win back-to-back editions since the Pharaohs, which won three in a row between 2006 and 2010.
As well as having his eye on that trophy, Amad also has ambitions of clinching a specific individual award.
"Winning the African Ballon d'Or is one of my life goals," he added.
"I'll do everything possible to achieve it one day."
Cote d'Ivoire's quarter-final opponent Egypt has won each of its past five quarter-finals at AFCON, since a 1-0 loss to Cameroon in the 2002 edition, and Amad is expecting a tough game.
"First of all, we need to prepare with a lot of humility and concentration. We know Egypt has often been a tough opponent for Ivory Coast," he said.
"But as I've said before, generations have changed. This is a new generation. We'll approach the match with humility.
"We know Egypt have great players, but we want to win this competition. And to win it, you have to beat the best teams. I hope it starts against Egypt."
One player Amad was keen to highlight was Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who has led his team from the front throughout the tournament.
"I don't know," Amad said when asked if there was a game plan in place to stop Salah. "It will depend on the system and how we play.
"Mohamed Salah is a legend. The staff will analyse that. We know what we have to do."
