Fatoumata Diarra: AS Mande's unstoppable midfielder

Named three (3) times best player in the Mali Cup final, two (2) times best player in Mali, two (2) times best player in the national league, best player and top scorer in the WAFU A qualifying tournament in Cape Verde, Fatoumata Diarra has a record that would make any other player pale.

Nicknamed Beckham due to her skill at set pieces, the AS Mandé midfielder is arguably one of the most experienced players in the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League, Egypt 2021.

She has been playing football for 21 years with AS Mandé with the exception of the 2008-2009 season when she was loaned to club FC Amazones.

Born April 15, 1986 in Bamako, Diarra has always been passionate about football.

In this interview with CAFOnline.com, the 35-year-old Malian international looks back on her career, her business and her claims for the first women's interclub competition.

CAFOnline.com: How did you start your football adventure?

Fatoumata Diarra: I used to play marbles and race with tires in the street. But also I was playing with some boys' teams during the cups that were organised in my neighborhood (Lafiabougou). It was Salimata Kone, the current captain of Mandé, who spoke to club officials about me. They came looking for me to integrate with the debutants, but very quickly I was upgraded to play for the pennant team despite my young age in the 2000-2001 season.

Has the family always supported you? What do they think of you as a footballer?

Because of my young age when i started, my parents were worried about my new activities. Even though the family didn't approve of my love for football, they didn't stop me from playing. With the titles that I won and when the parents saw the seriousness of our supervisors, they finally accepted.

What does the Champions League represent for you?

It’s a new adventure. This is the very first, I have participated in several competitions in which I have won a lot of titles and satisfactions. But this competition means a lot to me and I have a lot of hopes in it, especially as a vice-captain. It's a big challenge.

Since you are talking about individual and collective titles, are there some that matter more than others?

I have actively participated in all of AS Mandé's conquests nationally and internationally. I've also been to all the qualifiers with Mali's Eagles since 2004.

With the exception of the WAFCON finals (6 participations), I have always had individual awards in all the competitions I have participated in, either as top player or top scorer. Among the titles which marked me the most, there is that of the best player of the Mali Cup final obtained three times successively in 2012, 2014, 2015. There is also that of Mali's best footballer that I 've won twice. I was twice voted best player in the national league. And most recently best player and top scorer in the Champions League WAFU A qualifying tournament in Cape Verde.

Do you have any side activities that you do outside of football?

I only thought about football, which is more than a passion for me, so I had no plans when I dropped out of Transit studies. It was recently that I opened a small clothing store, a ready-to-wear, to consider post-football.

What are your personal goals for the rest of your career?

Whatever fate holds in store for me, I wish to end my career successfully. I started it by being adored by the fans. I want to end my career on this momentum in a European club.