Baba Diawara
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Papa Babacar Diawara | ||
| Date of birth | 5 January 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Dakar, Senegal | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Marítimo | ||
| Number | 90 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Jeanne d´Arc | 24 | (9) |
| 2007–2008 | Marítimo B | 23 | (6) |
| 2008–2012 | Marítimo | 103 | (37) |
| 2012–2015 | Sevilla | 30 | (3) |
| 2013–2014 | → Levante (loan) | 20 | (3) |
| 2014–2015 | → Getafe (loan) | 21 | (1) |
| 2015– | Marítimo | 16 | (4) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 May 2016. | |||
Papa Babacar 'Baba' Diawara (born 5 January 1988) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club C.S. Marítimo as a striker.
Football career
Marítimo
Born in Dakar, Diawara started his career with Senegal Premier League club ASC Jeanne d'Arc, moving to Europe aged just 19 to sign for C.S. Marítimo in Portugal. Having risen to prominence in the B-side, he made his debut for the main squad late into the 2007–08 season, appearing in the second half of a 1–1 Primeira Liga home draw against C.F. Estrela da Amadora.
Promoted to the first team the following summer, Diawara scored ten goals in the 2008–09 campaign, in 25 league games. His form attracted the attention of several clubs, including Sporting Clube de Portugal, Olympiacos F.C. from Greece and Scotland's Heart of Midlothian, with the latter however being put off by Marítimo's £2.5 million (€2.75 million) valuation of the player.[1]
Diawara bettered his individual totals to 11 goals in 2010–11, with Marítimo finishing in ninth position. Celtic came close to signing him in August 2011, but the deal collapsed on the last day of the transfer window due to visa issues.[2]
Diawara netted ten goals in only 15 matches in the first half of the 2011–12 season, including the last-minute winner at Sporting in a 3–2 win.[3]
Sevilla
Diawara signed with Sevilla FC on 17 January 2012, penning a 4½-year contract.[4] He made his La Liga debut on the 29th, coming on as a substitute for José Antonio Reyes late into the first half of a 1–2 loss at Málaga CF.[5] His first goal came on 3 March, starting the first time due to Álvaro Negredo's injury and equalising in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.[6]
On 17 April 2012, Diawara scored the opening goal in the new National Stadium in Warsaw, during a friendly with local Legia Warsaw, adding another in a 2–0 win.[7] He netted twice on 5 May as Sevilla won 5–2 in their final home match of the season, against Rayo Vallecano.[8] In the following campaign he did not find the net, featuring mainly from the bench.
In July 2013, Diawara was one of three Sevilla players deemed surplus to requirements by coach Unai Emery.[9] On 19 August, he was loaned to fellow Spaniards Levante UD for the duration of 2013–14.[10]
Club statistics
- As of 1 June 2013[11]
| Club | League | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Marítimo | Primeira Liga | 2007–08 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — | 29 | 10 | 5 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 30 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 35 | 9 | 6 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 38 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 2011–12 | 15 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 22 | 15 | 2 | ||||
| Maritimo Total | 103 | 37 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 128 | 48 | 21 | ||
| Sevilla | La Liga | 2011–12 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Sevilla Total | 30 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Career Total | 133 | 40 | 16 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 162 | 52 | 22 | ||
References
- ↑ Hearts can't afford to move for Baba Diawara
- ↑ "Celtic step up interest in striker as chief scout makes personal check". STV. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ↑ "Maritimo stun Sporting at the Alvalade". PortuGOAL. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ↑ "El Sevilla ficha a Babá" [Sevilla signs Babá] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
- ↑ "Sevilla sunk by Boquerones". ESPN Soccernet. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ↑ "Sevilla y Atlético de Madrid empataron por miedo a perder" [Sevilla and Atlético Madrid drew for fear of losing] (in Spanish). ESPN. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ Beckham survives Olympic cut; Warsaw Stadium stages first club match; World Football Insider, 18 April 2012
- ↑ Olmedo, Álvaro (5 May 2012). "Navas acerca al Rayo al precipicio" [Navas brings Rayo closer to the abyss] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ "El Sevilla no cuenta con Babá, Botía ni Alexis" [Sevilla does not need Babá, Botía or Alexis] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 6 July 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ "Babá: "Quiero recuperarme aquí y volver a ser Babá"" [Babá: "I want to recuperate here and be Babá again"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ↑ "B. Diawara". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
External links
- Baba Diawara at thefinalball.com
- Baba Diawara profile at ForaDeJogo
- Baba Diawara profile at BDFutbol