Makhete Diop eyes Al Dhafra exit and seeks ‘big’ move

Matt Jones - Editor 12:06 23/02/2015
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  • Ambitious: Makhete Diop.

    Al Dhafra striker Makhete Diop wants to leave the Western Knights at the end of the season and move to a “big club”.

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    The Senegalese striker scored the first goal as Laurent Banide’s team stunned league leaders Al Jazira with a 2-1 victory at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Saturday night.

    The 26-year-old is joint third in the Arabian Gulf League scoring charts, his strike in the first half in Abu Dhabi taking him to 10 goals for the season.

    There was interest in the 6’ 1” frontman, in his third season with Dhafra, from Saudi Arabia over the winter break, and Diop admits he could leave at the end of the campaign.

    “Next year I think maybe I will take another step to go to another big team. That’s what I hope [for], so I will try to do my best with Dhafra this year and after four months I will see what will happen and if I can go,” he said.

    “Already I have three offers from Al Nassr, Al Shabab and Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.”

    Despite snatching a dramatic late winner to end Jazira’s five-game winning run, Diop was not surprised by his side’s victory.

    He said: “No, we are never surprised. I have been for a long time in Dhafra and when we play with big teams, we are never afraid. 

    “When we play the small teams we become afraid but against big teams we can get a big result. 

    “We are in good form and unbeaten in four with the new manager, but we have Emirates next and then Al Ain so we will hope for good games and try our best at all times,” he added.

    The frontman was injured in the process of scoring, coming off shortly after, but hopes to be fit for the trip to Emirates when the AGL resumes in two weeks’ time.

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