These two former 'Lions' behind Assane Dio's masterstroke

Africa 16 March 2025 at 10:53

Imed Ben Amara

News Editor

The young forward Assane Dio has made waves by changing his sports nationality from Spanish to Senegalese.

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He will therefore be eligible to participate in the next two matches of the Lions against Sudan and Togo, as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

According to wiwsport, two former Senegalese internationals played a significant role in this decision, namely Keïta Baldé and Youssouf Sabaly.

The former reassured the player about the healthy atmosphere within the Lions' Den, which will ease his integration, while the latter, who was his teammate at Real Betis, spoke positively about the national team.

Assane Dio's season in numbers

In 29 matches across all competitions, with Real Betis and Como, the native of Ndongane scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists.

While his market value was estimated at 15 million euros in 2023, it is currently valued at 9 million euros on the transfermarket site.