It’s become a rarity to see African centre-backs playing regularly at the elite level for the elite clubs, mixing it with the best on the continent at the biggest club competition in the game, the UEFA Champions League.
In fact, when naming some of the best centre-backs on the continent at this moment in time, there isn’t one African name in sight.
The reasoning for this could well be down to the pool of talents on the continent taking a steep decline in recent years – elite clubs no longer want to take them on because of the AFCON taking place in the middle of a season every two years or the pathway to those levels for some of these players hasn’t been up to scratch. It’s difficult to pinpoint what the root cause is.
African centre-backs being amongst the best of their positions in Europe is now a thing of the past, a time when we had names such as Lucas Radebe, Rigobert Song, Kolo Toure, and Kalidou Koulibaly being considered global superstars of their respective generations.
We may not know what the solution is to getting top African centre-back talent back on the map on the biggest stages but one player who could yet become the new face of the movement and the leading superstar for the African continent is Sporting’s monstrous & athletic juggernaut Ousmane Diomande.
The 20-year-old talent and Ivory Coast international has emerged over the past couple of campaigns in Portugal as one of the most complete centre-back profiles on the continent and was a part of the Ivorian side which won the 2024 African Cup of Nations but only started two of their six games throughout the competition.
However, that is about to change as Diomande is given more exposure in the first team at Portuguese Liga NOS champions Sporting under the guidance and coaching of Ruben Amorim, playing Champions League football next season and should he remain at Sporting, as a key member of the squad as they push for their third league title in four years.
Diomande has emerged as a hot centre-back target for the likes of Manchester United (Daily Express, 31 May 2024), Arsenal and Chelsea (The Sun, 25 March) in the recent past and given his incredible qualities and very high ceiling, it won’t be long before he is playing at the top level every week for an elite club – changing the narrative for African centre-backs.
So who is Diomande, how has he got to this position in his career and just how far can he go in terms of reaching his vast potential?
Who is Ousmane Diomande?
Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Diomande is a product of the Ivorian club Sport Abobo, having joined them at the age of 10 and playing for the club’s academy for six years before getting his big break with a move to Europe, with a move to Danish outfit Football Club Midtjylland.
Abobo have produced many top players in the past, with the club having a significant reputation in Africa and across Europe for their high-end production of footballing talent, and it could turn out that the AFCON-winning centre-back may be their most prestigious ever should he continue on his promising trajectory.
FC Midtjylland paid Abobo an undisclosed fee back in 2020, but Diomande did not go straight into the starting line-up or even the squad immediately upon his arrival at the club.
His first six months in Denmark were rightly spent in the youth system, making 15 appearances for the U19s while also appearing twice in the UEFA Youth League.
Ousmane began learning English two months prior to his transfer to Midtjylland, which majorly helped him settle into his new surroundings much easier.
Given his tremendous growth and development, Midtjylland thought it best to send him out on loan to Portuguese outfit Mafra for the 2022/23 campaign, going on to make 17 appearances during his time there, including a 2-2 draw against his future employers Sporting’s intense rival FC Porto in the Allianz Cup.
The decision to join the Portuguese outfit for the season proved a masterstroke as Diomande was able to showcase his unique talents and understanding of the game, being able to fully utilise and master his abilities on the ball, dictating the game from his centre-half position, breaking lines and doing it under intense opposition press as well as his aggressive and athletic presence in his defending.
Thanks to impressive performances with Mafra, Diomande’s loan was cut short halfway through the season and he transferred to Primeira Liga club Sporting CP on 31 January 2023, signing a contract until June 2027 for a fee of €7.5 million (£6.3m).
It wasn’t long before Diomande was thrust into the limelight in his new home, making his debut for Sporting just six days after his January transfer against Rio Ave, coming off the bench to feature for two minutes, before making his full debut on the 20th of February against Chaves in a 3-2 win.
During his first season at the club, Diomande won more tackles per game (1.33) than his two defensive partners, Goncalo Inacio and Jerry St.Juste. He also averaged more tackles and interceptions combined, at 3.37 which is made all the more impressive considering he was only at the club for six months, making 11 starts in the Portuguese top flight.
Diomande made his European debut on 9 March, coming off the bench to replace Ricardo Esgaio on the 77th minute of a 2–2 draw at home to Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg.
Eight days later, on the return fixture in the Emirates Stadium, Diomande started and played the full match, as Sporting drew 1–1 and eliminated Arsenal via a penalty shootout.
It was a monstrous showing from Diomande that night, successfully completing 97 per cent of his passes, winning 100 per cent of his aerial duels, winning three ground duels, recording four clearances, two blocks and a crucial goal-line clearance [SofaScore].
He would then go on to bag his first goal for Sporting in a league tie against fierce rivals Benfica in a pulsating 2-2 draw.
The 2022/23 campaign would turn out to be Diomande’s breakout season, given he was only an employer for six months but the 2023/24 campaign was one in which he fully established himself as a placeholder defender in Amorim’s championship-winning team – ending the campaign with Africa Cup of Nations medal as well as a Primeira Liga one.
Diomande is once again set to star for Sporting this coming season – should no transfer bids arrive during the summer window – and also fight for his rightful place as Ivory Coast’s most crucial figure in their defence before the 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations taking place in December next year.
Who knows, Diomande could well be playing for an elite-level European club once that competition comes around in Morocco. So why could that be the case and what exactly do the elite clubs see in Diomande that makes him such an attractive proposition in the transfer market?
Why is Diomande so highly rated?
Diomande possesses all the characteristics and attributes to be one of the best modern-day centre-backs of his generation if he keeps up his stunning upward trajectory.
The role of a centre-back is ever-changing in the modern game. They’re not only tasked with providing a defensive wall and shield for their team but are now responsible for providing a base on which to build from in possession with so many coaches now adopting a progressive, ball-orientated and positional approach.
Penetrative threat in possession
Diomandé is a complete CB project, being only 19 he’s such a solid defender with his aggressiveness and strong build, defending his box and other zones with high energy and technical qualities to win the ball back.
He’s also a very progressive and threatening passer from the back as mentioned previously. Much of the Ivorian’s rocket-style development is down to the tactical conditions that he is provided with at Sporting from head coach Amorim.
Amorim regularly deploys Diomandé as a wide RCB in his 3 at the back system. The team either takes up a 3-2-5 or 3-1-6 shape when in possession, and falls into a 5-3-2 or 5-4-1 when the opposition has the ball.
This wider positioning for Diomande complements his attributes and abilities brilliantly, allowing him the angles to progress the ball, and evade the opponent’s pressure but also maximise his capabilities when defending wide spaces, matching wingers/attackers for pace and winning the ball back for his team.
The Ivorian is already at the elite level in terms of his line-breaking passes and carries, finding his midfield teammates in space in the middle third by splitting an opponent’s press or mid-block.
Sporting will often play horizontally, shifting the opposition from one side to the other until space opens up for either Diomandé or his centre-back teammate Goncalo Inacio to play vertically.
The Ivorian is incredibly composed under pressure, possesses a remarkable passing range, and is comfortably two-footed, marking him as the PERFECT centre-back in possession.
The stats amongst his positional peers could not make things any clearer regarding his qualities on the ball.
Amongst centre-backs in Europe’s next 14 leagues after the top five, Diomande ranks in the 91st percentile for progressive passes per 90, 97th percentile for pass completion percentage per 90, in the 81st percentile for progressive carries per90 – highlighting that he not only can pass progressive but carry the ball forward and that is further emphasised in his 85th percentile ranking for successful take-ons per 90 [FBRef].
More tellingly, he ranks in the 96th percentile of centre-backs for passes into the final third per 90, and 85th percentile for passes into the penalty area marking him out as a penetrative weapon when Sporting have their opposition penned in their own half, as seen in the image above.
The above graph may indicate Diomande isn’t as strong in his long passing, but that cannot be any further from the truth. The 20-year-old is an adept long passer.
One of the many reasons Amorim has him on the right of Sporting’s three-man defence is to allow him the angle, opportunity and seal of approval to attempt long switches of play when there aren’t any options on his side of the pitch, but more importantly to stretch the opposition defence and change the direction of play.
Diomande is certainly changing the perception of African centre-backs. They are not only an aggressive, dominant and colossal force in their defending, but are now capable of being just as influential and decisive in possession of the ball.
The 20-year-old is among the best at it owing to his tremendous development at Sporting CP under Amorim. While there is still a long way to go before he’s considered the best, he’s undoubtedly on the right path which is impressive considering his age.
However, there is more to Diomande’s game than his progressive passing attributes.
Defensive monster
As stated previously, Diomande possesses all the characteristics and attributes to be one of the best modern-day centre-backs of his generation and that’s down to his exceptional athleticism.
The eight-cap Ivorian international is an imposing figure on his opponents, standing at 6’3 possessing a lean and rangy size making him the ideal & perfect modern-day centre-back profile.
His long limbs and monster physique aid his dominance on the ground when duelling; standing up to his markers, matching them for pace on the flanks or dispossessing onrushing attackers.
He’s excellent at dealing with strikers/attackers who play with their back-to-goal, coming up behind them and stopping them from turning or advancing into dangerous areas in the final third, either via using his long limbs to stretch and reach the ball to dispossess his opponent or shrug them off balance, as shown below:
Diomande possesses astonishing recovery pace, just like his compatriot and predecessor Kolo Toure used to back in his glory days as Arsenal and Ivory Coast’s captain and leader at the heart of the defence.
When you possess such characteristics, you become an invaluable defensive weapon when playing a high line. If Sporting lose possession, and an opponent swiftly looks for a pass over the top of their defensive line, Diomande’s pace, athleticism and anticipation again give him the advantage over any attacker who may have breached the offside trap.
Tasked as a wide centre-back in Sporting’s 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 shape, he is also more than capable of defending the flanks, holding his own against tricky and pacey wingers. Defending in a back 5 puts a larger emphasis on his channel defending, protecting the space in behind the wingbacks, and Diomandé executes this to a very high standard.
The image below is a perfect example of the number of stances Diomande takes up when defending against tricky wingers:
Standing up like this gives him ample advantage as the winger simply does not know which way to beat him, Diomande has all routes to his own goal perfectly covered before he uses his strength and anticipation to win possession:
His speed, athleticism and defensive nous/understanding of his role allow him the advantage in such scenarios and is evident in the fact he ranks in the top nine per cent of centre-backs for % of dribblers tackled per 90.
Out of every player in the Portuguese top flight last season, he ranked fifth for % of dribblers tackled (77.3%) again indicating his huge strengths and reliability in a wide centre-back role.
Aerially, there seems to be a misconception surrounding Diomandé. If you were to look at his raw numbers on FBRef, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a major flaw in his game. However, when watching the centre back, this isn’t the case, and when context is applied, you will find that the numbers look more understanding.
The Ivorian is also destructive in the air due to his excellent physique and size but also his amazing spring when jumping. Once he’s in the air, he overpowers his opponents with his towering presence and tremendous leap.
A tremendous example is his bullet header against fierce rivals Benfica towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, towering over everyone in the penalty area to bury a stunning header into the bottom corner in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Diomande ranks in the top six per cent of centre-backs for % of aerial duels won per 90 showing his underrated attributes in the air. Whether attacking or defending corners, the Ivorian has no problems attempting to rise highest to meet the ball, as his goal against Benfica showed.
When analysing centre-backs, it’s important to discuss their penalty box defending. That should be every centre-half’s calling card, putting themselves about and stopping at nothing to ensure the ball stays away from the goal.
Diomande is excellent in that respect, positioning himself well in the penalty area to deal with crosses cut-backs and passes.
In the image above, Diomande has positioned himself incredibly well to deal with the danger. The Benfica winger on the far right has options in the area to target but the position the Ivorian takes up gives him the advantage in whichever scenario.
If the ball is pulled back to Casper Tengstedt (no. 19), Diomande is positioned to block the shot. More crucially, the lane for a David Neres tap-in behind him (no.7) is blocked because of Diomande’s excellent reading of the scenario and positioning, allowing him to deal with the problem:
Another instance, in the same fixture, shows Diomande excellently defending a proper cross:
The Ivorian is in the ideal position to deal with the cross even before it reaches the six-yard box:
Whether lining up as an RCB or LCB in Amorim’s three-man defence, Diomande possesses the propensity and quality to deal with various scenarios that arise when Sporting are on the back foot from an opponent’s attack.
In another instance, Benfica worked up another promising attacking scenario, with Sporting’s defence on the back foot and their defensive line, especially Diomande (BLUE) breached and in danger:
However, Sporting again are saved by Diomande’s anticipation, defensive reading and unrelenting speed to get into a position to deal with the decisive through ball:
No wonder why the 20-year-old is so highly regarded not just at Sporting but in the whole of Europe.
Everything a top football coach would want in their modern-day centre-back: pace, anticipation, ground and aerial duelling, reading of the game, strength, aggression and most of all ball-playing attributes, Diomande certainly possesses all.
However, there are still some rawness and mistakes in Diomande’s game. The Ivorian can be guilty of losing concentration, can be over-aggressive and exertive and at times complacent and over-confident given his huge potential as a top-level centre-back.
It is why Amorim hasn’t taken the risk to deploy him as the focal point and heart of his three-man centre-halves but deployed him there with great success in the first game of the new 24/25 campaign – a 3-1 Liga Portugal win over Rio Ave on Friday (9 August).
That will be the next step in Diomande’s development, performing consistently in Sebastian Coates’ place – who returned to his native Uruguay this summer – at the heart of Sporting’s three-man centre-back system.
There are doubts about whether he can perform consistently as one of two centre-backs in a four-man defence.
However, these are all expected given his age. Most centre-backs don’t reach their best years ideally until they’re 27 so the Ivorian certainly has a lot of time on his side to iron out his deficiencies and grow into the incredible and complete defender he is primed to become.
In fact, he could well reach these levels well before he turns 26 allowing him to become the best of his generation and arguably one of the best African centre-backs of all time.
These are overly lofty and ambitious words, yes, but that’s currently how good Diomande is and can become.
Diomande’s Future Forecast
The Ivorian international is certainly on his way to changing the perceptions of what it is to be a top-level centre-back from the continent of Africa. They can be good but not quite capable enough to reach the top level.
When watching Diomande, you can certainly tell that the landscape and impressions of an African centre-back are about to dramatically change. He’s already reached the pinnacle of international football for Ivory Coast, but there is clearly more to come at club level.
There are no doubts that Diomande will be playing in one of Europe’s top-five leagues within the next year or so.
The Olympic Sport Abobo youth product has been linked with elite clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal recently but nothing has materialised or emerged as genuine in regards to a move away which means he will still be a Sporting player by the end of August 2024.
With so much rawness in his game, and tactical development still to come, another year at the Portuguese champions will do him the world of good in the long run.
But, it won’t be long before a top European outfit is matching that €80m (£68.5m) release clause in his contract. That isn’t a prediction, it is quite simply a spoiler.
In other #AnthonyScouts news, check out this new West Ham United signing who enjoyed a tremendous 2023/24 campaign. Is he ready for Premier League football?
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