US Ouakam General Manager Pape Malickou Diakhaté expresses his pride in returning to his beloved club and contributing his experience.

Appointed general manager of US Ouakam a year ago, former Senegalese international Pape Malickou Diakhaté intends to put his experience to good use for his boyhood club. Present in Saint-Louis for the inaugural Northern Cup, he also shared his thoughts on Patrick Vieira's arrival as manager of the Lions.

After several years spent in Europe, notably playing for AS Nancy-Lorraine, Dynamo Kyiv, Saint-Étienne, and Olympique Lyonnais, Pape Malickou Diakhaté has chosen to return to Senegal to begin his post-football career. The former Lions defender now holds the position of general manager of Union Sportive de Ouakam (USO), a club to which he remains particularly attached.

Present with USO in Saint-Louis to participate in the first edition of the Northern Cup organized by Linguère de Saint-Louis, Pape Malickou Diakhaté does not hide his satisfaction at returning to Senegalese football and especially at contributing to the development of his beloved club.

"It's a great source of pride and also gratitude. It means that I am giving back to Senegalese football what it gave me, and especially to Ouakam," he said.

A useful preparation before the championship

The general manager of US Ouakam also appreciates Linguère de Saint-Louis' initiative in organizing this tournament, which brings together several top-tier Senegalese clubs. He believes this competition provides an excellent opportunity for teams to fine-tune their preparations before the start of the season.

“Frankly, it’s a very good tournament, a very good initiative. We welcome it because it allows us to assess ourselves physically and to put in place game ideas for our coach and the other coaches. It also allows our youngsters to get some competition under their belts before the start of the championship,” the former international player emphasized.

The former Saint-Étienne defender also wanted to commend the president of Linguère de Saint-Louis, who initiated this project: "I commend this initiative from the president of Linguère, Bamba Ba."

When asked about Patrick Vieira's appointment as head coach of the Senegalese national team, the former Lions defender remained measured in his response. He began by welcoming the new coach, whose appointment comes amidst considerable turmoil. "His arrival has been very turbulent, for various reasons that are unknown. In any case, all we can do is welcome him as a key figure in Senegalese football," stated the Ouakam club official.

Regarding the first squad list unveiled by the coach, Malickou believes the French manager seems to have a clear idea of the direction he wants to take the team. "I think this is a coach who, with this list, knows where he's going. Now, we'll have to see where this team takes us," he concluded.