How Ivory Coast Is Getting the Best Out of Amad Diallo at AFCON 2025

Another Manchester United man is finding form away from Old Trafford with a change of position

Manchester United is currently looking for an interim coach to replace the current interim coach who replaced the permanent coach, Ruben Amorim. In the summer, the club will search for another permanent coach, to replace the interim coach once they are found.

However, this is quite normal for the Old Trafford Club over the past few years. Another routine pattern is players who leave Manchester United, whether permanently or for a short spell of time, suddenly performing to their actual level or beyond. Ivory Coast midfielder, Amad Diallo, is benefiting from this footballing quirk.

After leaving Manchester United, Scott McTominay became the best player in Serie A, Anthony took Betis to a European final, Rasmus Højlund is scoring again at Napoli, and Marcus Rashford has become a key figure at Barcelona.

CAF Africa Cup of Nations

How and Where to Watch Egypt vs Ivory Coast

Ivorian midfielder, Amad Diallo, has only been away from Manchester United for three weeks at AFCON 2025 but has transformed his form in that time. The 23-year-old has scored three goals, provided one assist and picked up three man-of-the-match awards in just four games. To put that into context, Diallo has scored just two goals in 15 Premier League appearances for United.

Speaking ahead of a quarterfinal clash against Egypt on Saturday, a modest Diallo credits his performance to something that always seemed to escape the system-obsessed Amorin, and that’s putting a player in his best position.

In contrast, the Ivory Coast coach, Emerse Faé, is giving Diallo more attacking responsibilities. “He is telling me to be more comfortable when I have the ball,” explained the Ivorian ahead of Saturday’s game, “I can go 1v1 because it is a different position when I am at United, I play like a wingback, and here I play as a right winger.”

That international position may have to be a little more defensive that previously for Diallo who is now up against two familiar foes on the flanks for Egypt - “they have Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, we know already they play in the Premier League, so we will prepare this game very well.

Ivory Coast’s 2023 AFCON was more like life at Old Trafford with a coach being fired in the middle of the tournament, before the team went onto to win. This tournament sees a cool, calm and collected Ivory Coast on a path to defend its title. The chaos looks set to return to Diallo when he is back at Manchester United, whenever and however Ivory Coast’s run in Morocco comes to an end.