Such a painful loss was rendered even more difficult for Diomande as he was living away from his loved ones, playing for Spanish side Leganes.<\/p>\n
Having subsequently moved to Germany and drawn widespread acclaim for his performances and output, Diomande is now determined to make a success of the World Cup – not for himself, but for his sister, family and everybody else back home.<\/p>\n
“We’re here to represent millions of people and play for our loved ones and our families,” he says. “It makes us want to go out there and make an impact.”<\/p>\n
Ivory Coast have played in the World Cup three times before – in 2006, 2010, and 2014 – but never made it beyond the group stage despite fielding teams including global icons like Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.<\/p>\n
But their opening win over Ecuador has put them in a strong position to progress, and Diomande believes there is a key difference between the current squad and those which went before.<\/p>\n
“I think we have more desire,” he says. “There isn’t a lot of expectation on us, so we have nothing to lose and we’ll give it everything. That’s what our mentality needs to be.”<\/p>\n
If Ivory Coast are to go far in the competition, Diomande will need to play a key role in their success. Despite his tender age, his team-mates are confident in his ability to make a difference.<\/p>\n