Aliou Dieng: Mali’s Midfield Metronome

Aliou Dieng, born on 16 October 1997, turned 23 years of age only a few months ago. He was born in the landlocked west-African country of Mali. His career started at Djoiba AC one of Mali's biggest clubs where he made his debut back in 2015 as a teenager.

After enjoying a few successful seasons at Djoiba AC he transferred in January 2018 to Algerian outfit MC Alger. They are one of the most well-supported and successful clubs in Algerian football history. In his first few months with the club, he quickly became a first-team regular starting in 19 out of 21 games. That included Algerian Ligue Professionelle 1, CAF Champions League and Coup D'Algerie matches.

The following season (2018/2019), Dieng was one of MC Alger's key players as they finished sixth in the league. He started 24 out of 30 league games and made three substitute appearances. He also started two Coup D'Algerie matches, the second ending in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to NA Hussein Dey at the Round of 16 stage. Despite a rather forgettable season for MC Alger, his performances attracted the interest of North African giants Al Ahly of Egypt.

Dieng made the switch from MC Algers to Al Ahly in the summer of 2019 for a handsome fee of £990,000. His transition from the Algerian top-flight to the Egyptian Premier League was seamless as he started 19 games and made seven appearances from the bench.