Diafra Sakho (born 24 December 1989) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a striker.
Sakho began his career in the lower divisions of French football, with Metz and on loan at Boulogne, before joining West Ham United in August 2014. Since May 2014, he has been a full international for the Senegal national team. He joined Rennes in January 2018 and was loaned to Bursaspor in August 2018.
Club Career
Metz
Sakho was born in Guediawaye. He started his career in Dakar with Generation Foot, a football academy and feeder club for FC Metz, at age 16. After six months with the club he moved to France in 2007 to start training with Metz. After 17 goals in 22 games for FC Metz's reserve team in the 2009–10 season he was awarded a first-team place. He made his first-team debut in a goalless draw at home to Brest, on 19 January 2010. His debut goal came on 10 September, in a 1–1 home draw with Nantes. He was mainly used as a substitute in his first three seasons and was loaned to Boulogne in January 2012. In May 2012, with Metz in Championnat National, the third tier of French football, new manager Albert Cartier gave Sakho a starting place in the team. The following season Sakho scored 19 goals in 33 league appearances as Metz finished in second place and won promotion back to Ligue 2 at their first attempt. In season 2013–14 he scored 20 goals in 36 appearances as Metz won the Ligue 2 title. For his performances, Sakho was voted Ligue 2 Player of the Year for the 2013–14 season.
West Ham United
On 14 August 2014, Sakho signed a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee with West Ham United, becoming their seventh signing before the start of the 2014–15 season. Upon his joining, he said: "This is a proud day to have signed for West Ham, I really love English football and I've dreamed of coming to play for one of the big English clubs.
This page also has a version in other languages : Диафра Сако (russian)