ACTUALITE |
18.07.2002
Lens` African eleven
The news that French club Lens have agreed deals with Nigeria attacker John Utaka and Senegalese midfielder Abdoulaye Diagne Faye should come as no surprise.
Lens has long provided a warm welcome to African stars, with the likes of Jules Bocande and Titi Camara shining for the "Blood and Gold" in the past.
Last season Lens finished second in the French championship, helped by the efforts of Malian Adama Coulibaly and no less than four Senegalese, El Hadji Diouf, Ferdinand Coly, Pape Sarr and Bouba Diop.
Despite Diouf`s departure to Liverpool, the signatures of Utaka and Faye make Lens more Africa-phile than ever before --to the extent that coach Joel Muller could all but field a full African XI if he so choses.
The attack would be potent indeed, with Utaka teaming up with Franco-Ivorian Dagui Bakari, picked up from neighbours Lille, and young Moroccan Bouabid Bouden.
The midfield would be even stronger: Lions World Cup stars Diop and Sarr would combine with Malian Seydou Keita, on loan from Lorient, who was so dominant at the Nations` Cup, and young talent Faye.
The defence has a solid appearance too.
Coly impressed many with his performances over the summer, and new acquisition Rigobert Song would be the ideal man to coax the extremely promising Coulibaly to new heights.
Only goalkeeper might prove to be a problem position: Charles Itandje is talented if inexperienced, but was born in France and so only qualifies for Lens` African XI through parentage.
So there it is: BBC Sport Online`s All-African Lens team is composed of four Senegalese, two Malians, one Ivorian, one Nigerian, one Cameroonian, one Moroccan and one Franco-African, and looks fit to challenge the best.
It will probably never happen, of course, but one thing is sure: Africans will be playing a huge role in Lens` French and Champions` League campaigns this season.
Team: 3-4-3 Itandje (Franco-African); Coly (Senegal), Song (Cameroon), Coulibaly (Mali); Sarr (Senegal), Faye (Senegal), Diop (Senegal), Keita (Mali); Bouden (Morocco), Bakari (Cote d`Ivoire), Utaka (Nigeria).
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Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
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