Boubacar Dialiba Diabang Still Dreams of a Return to Senegal’s National Team
Boubacar Dialiba Diabang, the Senegalese striker currently playing for Cracovia in Poland’s top division, hasn’t given up hope of once again donning the colors of the Lions of Teranga. Despite earning just one cap for the Senegal national team, back in February 2012 during a friendly against South Africa in Durban (0-0), the 26-year-old maintains a strong sense of pride and belief in his international future.
“In life, you have to know how to make your choices. I wore the colors of my country and I am proud of it,” Dialiba told reporters. “Even if I regret the brevity of my time with the national team, history will remember that I at least wore this jersey. Which is not the case for many players.”
Dialiba, who previously played in Belgium for KV Mechelen, attributes the lack of further call-ups to unfortunate timing and a string of injuries. “Those moments had a big impact on me,” he recalled of his debut in Durban. “Afterwards, I had repeated injuries. That really affected my career. But today, I feel good at my club and I continue to work harder.”
The attacker, who once played for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth teams before pledging his allegiance to Senegal at the senior level, continues to hope that coach Aliou Cissé will consider him again. With Senegal set to continue its 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign, Dialiba is doing everything he can at club level to earn a second chance.
His story is a reminder of how fleeting international opportunities can be—but also how determination and resilience can keep the dream alive.
