Diafra Sakho facts for kids
Sakho with West Ham United in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 December 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Guédiawaye, Senegal | ||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2007 | Génération Foot | ||
| 2007–2009 | Metz | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2014 | Metz | 114 | (44) |
| 2012 | → Boulogne (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2014–2018 | West Ham United | 62 | (18) |
| 2018–2020 | Rennes | 15 | (2) |
| 2018–2019 | → Bursaspor (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 2020 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 8 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Arta/Solar7 | ||
| 2022–2023 | Nancy | 15 | (4) |
| National team | |||
| 2014–2018 | Senegal | 12 | (2) |
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Diafra Sakho (born December 24, 1989) is a former professional footballer from Senegal. He was a talented striker known for scoring goals. Diafra started his football journey in France before moving to play for West Ham United in England. He also proudly represented his home country, Senegal, in international matches.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out at Metz
Diafra Sakho began his football journey in Dakar, Senegal, at a special academy called Génération Foot. At 16, he moved to France to train with Metz. He quickly showed his talent, scoring many goals for their reserve team. This earned him a spot on the main team.
He made his first team debut in 2010. After a loan spell at Boulogne, he became a key player for Metz. He helped them get promoted back to Ligue 2, a higher division. The next season, he scored 20 goals as Metz won the Ligue 2 title! Because of his amazing performance, he was named the Ligue 2 Player of the Year.
Playing for West Ham United
In August 2014, Diafra Sakho joined West Ham United in England. He was very excited to play in the English Premier League. He said it was a dream come true.
First Season: 2014–15
Sakho made his debut for West Ham in August 2014. He scored his first goal for the club in a League Cup match. His first league goal came soon after, against Hull City. He quickly became a goal-scoring machine for West Ham.
He even broke a 26-year-old club record by scoring in his first four starts. He also became the first West Ham player to score in six straight Premier League games. For his fantastic start, he won the Premier League Player of the Month award for October 2014.
During this season, he faced a challenge with the Africa Cup of Nations. He was injured and couldn't join the Senegal team. Despite this, he finished as West Ham's top scorer with 12 goals.
Second Season: 2015–16
Sakho started the 2015–16 season strong, scoring two goals in a UEFA Europa League game. He also scored in a big away win against Liverpool, which was West Ham's first win at Anfield in 52 years! He continued to score important goals, including one against Manchester City.
Unfortunately, he suffered a thigh injury in November 2015. This kept him out of action for several months. In 2016, he tried to move to other clubs, but the transfers didn't happen.
Later Seasons with West Ham
Sakho struggled with injuries in the 2016–17 season. He played only a few games but managed to score against Manchester United. However, more injuries kept him off the field.
In his final season with West Ham (2017–18), he mostly came on as a substitute. He scored two league goals and two goals in the League Cup. He left West Ham in January 2018, having scored 24 goals in 71 games.
Moving to Rennes and Other Clubs
After West Ham, Sakho joined Rennes in France in January 2018. He scored on his very first game for them. Later, he was loaned to Bursaspor in Turkey for a season.
In 2020, he played for Neuchâtel Xamax in Switzerland. He then moved to Arta/Solar7 in Djibouti for the 2021–22 season. His last club was Nancy in France, where he played in the 2022–23 season. He announced his retirement from playing football in July 2023.
International Career
Diafra Sakho made his first appearance for the Senegal national team in May 2014. He scored his first international goal just four days later.
In November 2017, Sakho scored a crucial goal against South Africa. This win helped Senegal qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. It was a huge moment for his country, as it was their first World Cup since 2002. He was part of Senegal's squad for the 2018 World Cup.
Honours and Awards
Diafra Sakho achieved several important honours during his career:
- Metz
- Ligue 2: 2013–14 (Champions)
- Arta/Solar7
- Djibouti Premier League: 2021–22 (Champions)
- Djibouti Cup: 2021–22 (Winners)
- Individual Awards
- Ligue 2 Player of the Year: 2013–14
- Premier League Player of the Month: October 2014
Images for kids
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Sakho warming up with West Ham United in 2014
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Sakho playing for West Ham United in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Diafra Sakho para niños
