Player of the Week - Diafra Sakho

Sakho scores again to send The Hammers up the table!

West Ham Utd striker Diafra Sakho scored again at the weekend to give his team a 2-0 win against QPR and send the Hammers up to 7th place in the Premier League table. Sakho's header was the Senegal international's fifth goal in only five starts for West Ham, which have included goals against Liverpool and Manchester United. Sakho has now scored in four consecutive Premier League games and is the first West Ham player to do this since Carlton Cole in 2008/09.It was a comfortable win for West Ham, who scored a goal in each half, against a QPR team who are now bottom of the table and have to play Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in three of their next four games! It was also an unhappy return for QPR manager Harry Redknapp, who managed West Ham between 1994 and 2001. West Ham are now ahead of both Arsenal and Liverpool in the table and with a new attacking line-up are looking forward to many more wins this season. 

"Sakho feels like he is going to score every time he goes out on the pitch at the moment."  Sam Allardyce - West Ham manager.

What do we know about Diafra Sakho?

Sakho was born in December 1989 in Guédiawaye near Dakar, which is the capital city of Senegal. When he was young, Sakho moved to Guinea-Bissau but returned to Senegal in 2003 to join the Generation Foot Academy in Dakar. This academy helps develop African footballers, with one example being Papiss Cisse at Newcastle United, and sponsors include Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Senegalese singer Youssou N'dour.In 2007, Sakho moved to France to play for FC Metz, and after a few seasons playing for the reserves, he broke into the first team. In 2012/13 and 2013/14, Sakho scored 39 goals in 69 games, helping Metz to consecutive promotions and the top level of French football.

"This is a proud day to have signed for West Ham, I really love English football and I've dreamed of coming to play for one of the big English clubs." Diafra Sakho.

What is Sakho's inspiration?

Sakho moved to the Premier League in August 2014, when he signed for West Ham United for around £4.5 million. Sakho wasn't the only striker West Ham signed, they also signed Ecuador star, Enner Valencia. The two new strikers are starting to create a great partnership for The Hammers.Sakho has recently spoken about his inspiration to become a top professional footballer. After arriving in France, his father died unexpectedly, which left Sakho as the only wage earner, with his mother and 2 younger brothers and sister back home in Senegal with very little money. Most of his salary, as a youth player, was sent back home and when his salary increased he was able to send more to his family. He has now been able to buy his family a new house and pay for his sister's education.

"I knew what I had to do for my mother and two brothers and sisters. It was up to me to provide for them."  Diafra Sakho.

Does Sakho play for his national team?

Sakho's scoring record for FC Metz last season caught the eye of the Senegalese selectors and Sakho made his debut for Senegal, against Burkino Faso, on 21 May 2014. Four days later, Sakho scored his first international goal, against Kosovo in a 3-1 win. He played alongside his new West Ham teammmate, Cheikhou Kouyate and was subsituted for ex-West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea striker Demba Ba. After a goalscoring start to life in the Premier League, Sakho will surely receive more international call-ups in the future.

Are there any other Senegal players in the Premier League? 

Diafra Sakho is not the only Senegalese international in the Premier League. There is Sakho's teammate, Cheikhou Kouyate, at West Ham (11 caps), and there are a few other Senegalese players who have been scoring goals already this season. Papiss Cisse (29 caps) has scored 4 Premier League goals in only 3 games for Newcastle Utd this season and Hull City midfielder Mohamed Diame (21 caps) has scored 3 in 4 games this season, including a goal against his former club - West Ham. Stoke City striker, Mame Biram Diouf (19 caps), has scored twice in 6 games, including a winner against Manchester City, and Southampton forward Sadio Mane (16 caps) is another Senegal international who will want to make an impact, after signing for the Saints for about £12 million in the summer.

What did you understand?

Put the words together as quick as you can.

Word Game

Activity 2: In this activity, think about how some of the sentences in the text were written. Can you put the words in the correct order?

Did you know......?

• Kevin Nolan (7 goals) was West Ham's top scorer last season. Sakho already has 4 Premier League goals.
• Sakho had a fire in his apartment recently! Fortunately, nobody was hurt but it was a bit embarrasing for Sakho, who left the cooker on!
• West Ham will move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
• Premier League legends - Patrick Viera and Patrice Evra - were born in Senegal.