Yan Diomande will be under the spotlight of Europe’s biggest clubs when Ivory Coast face Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal at Adrar Stadium.
The 19‑year‑old attacking star, born in Abidjan in 2006, is seen as the new face of the Elephants after the era of Didier Drogba and Yaya and Kolo Toure.
Diomande’s rise has been spectacular. Just a year ago he was in the DMI Academy in the United States, then made his professional debut for Leganés against Real Madrid on 29 March, before RB Leipzig paid 20 million euros to sign him last summer. Since then he has scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists in 14 games, becoming the second‑youngest player ever to hit a Bundesliga hat‑trick and earning a reputation as Germany’s “king of dribbling” with 42 successful take‑ons and a December “rookie of the month” award.
His form has carried into Afcon 2025, where he led Ivory Coast past Burkina Faso 3-0 in the last 16, scoring once, creating four big chances and topping the tournament dribbling charts with 16 successful dribbles from 27 attempts, according to Opta. Teammate Amad Diallo praised him, saying their close relationship off the pitch helps them shine for the team.
Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schäfer insists the club want to keep Diomande “for more than a year to build stability”, but that may be difficult.
