Exclusive: Amad Diallo Needs to Prove Worth to Amorim at Man Utd, Villarreal's Pepe Still Key to Cote d’Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire national team Emerse Fae has outlined what Amad Diallo must do to stay important in Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United squad.

Four years after joining the Red Devils as an 18-year-old for a striking £37 million ($48m), despite having played only five senior games for Atalanta, the African is emerging as the club's figurehead.

Diallo delivered a man-of-the-match performance as the Old Trafford giants clinched a 2-1 comeback victory over rivals Manchester City.

First, the young talent won a penalty, which was converted by Bruno Fernandes after he was fouled by Matheus Nunes. He then scored a brilliant winner, handing Pep Guardiola’s side a defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

AMAD’S FORM CRUCIAL FOR COTE D’IVIORE

Reigning African Coach of the Year, Fae, is impressed by Diallo’s inspiring form at his Premier League club and hopes he can replicate it for the Elephants.

"I'm really happy with how Amad performed against Manchester City. He played exceptionally well—he was decisive, scored a beautiful goal, and won a penalty for Fernandes," Fae told SportsBoom.com.

"I'm pleased with his form because Cote d'Ivoire's next match will be very challenging. We need all our players in top form and fully fit.

"Just like Simon [Adingra], I hope he continues playing at this level because we will need him for the national team."

Having qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the reigning African champions will now aim to secure a return to the FIFA World Cup after missing the 2018 (Russia) and 2022 (Qatar) editions.

They currently lead Group F, which includes Gabon, Burundi, Seychelles, Gambia, and Kenya, with 10 points from four matches played so far.

Cote d'Ivoire will face Burundi as guests in their next outing on March 16, 2025.

HOW AMAD CAN BECOME AMORIM’S FAVOURITE

Amad was loaned to Sunderland for the 2022-23 season, but the 22-year-old has since surpassed Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to become the club's top winger.

Coach Fae hints on what the player must do to become one of Amorim’s key figures at Old Trafford.

"Ahmad knows what he needs to do to become a regular player under Amorim at Manchester United, I think he knows," the former Nice and Reading continued. 

"When you have a new manager who arrives in your team, you just need to show him that you want to play.

"Amad must continue during hard during training session to show his coach that he deserves to play. The same thing should apply on match days no matter how many minutes he plays."

PEPE STILL A COTE D’IVOIRE PLAYER

Fae also rejected claims that former Arsenal player Nicolas Pepe has been dropped from the national team.

The striker played five matches for the Elephants during their AFCON triumph, but neither scored nor provided any assists.

The coach clarified his situation, stating that the Spain-based star will return once he is fully fit.

"Nico Pepe signed with Villarreal and performed very well at the start of the season. Unfortunately, he is currently injured," he stated.

"He was performing well and improving day by day. He will return in January to be fit for Côte d'Ivoire’s games in March. I am very pleased with his progress at Villarreal, and I hope he will be fully fit for March."

Coach Fae is impressed with the performances of his national team players in Europe, stating that there will be no favoritism in selection ahead of next year’s international fixtures.

"I am happy with the performance of my players, and all I hope for is that they stay fit and in good spirits. We will definitely choose the best ones for our next set of games."