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Sports News of Monday, 24 April 2023

Source: soccernet.ng

'I don’t do such a thing' – Senegal’s Diagne knocks Super Eagles star, reignites Gala controversy

Henry Onyekuru Henry Onyekuru

Senegalese striker Mbaye Diagne has reignited the controversy surrounding Henry Onyekuru‘s behaviour after Adana Demirspor’s loss to Galatasaray earlier in the month.

The Fatih Karagumruk ace has taken a wide swipe at Onyekuru’s decision to mingle with his friends at Galatasaray immediately after his current side, Adana Demirspor, succumbed to a huge 2-0 loss on April 1st.

Ex-Juventus man Diagne claimed that he would never act the way Onyekuru did, adding that he finds the Super Eagles winger’s behaviour “not very right.”

Onyekuru, who played for Galatasaray across three different spells before joining Adana Demirspor on loan from Olympiakos last summer, has faced criticism from some quarters for his actions after the game.

Montella’s backing

The Nigerian winger was seen talking and laughing with some of his former teammates on the field, which has been seen as disrespectful to his current team.

However, Adana Demirspor’s coach Vincenzo Montella has already thrown his support behind Onyekuru, saying that the player had acted in good faith and was an emotional athlete.

Montella’s comments were seen as an attempt to defuse the situation and rally the team ahead of their remaining fixtures. Adana Demirspor have won each of their last four games since that defeat against Galatasaray, including an Onyekuru-inspired 5-3 win over Kayserispor on Sunday.

Diagne’s jibe

But Diagne’s latest comments will likely fuel the controversy further and could create tension within the team.

The Senegalese striker, who currently plays for Fatih Karagümrük, claimed that he would never behave like Onyekuru, saying that he gets very angry when he loses and prefers to go straight to the dressing room.

“Everyone can look at it from their own point of view. I don’t do such a thing individually. Because I am a person who gets very angry when I lose, I can’t digest it. I go in directly. If there is someone I will see later, I see it. These are my thoughts,” Diagne said, as per Sporx.

“Onyekuru is a young friend of ours. He played in Galatasaray for a long time; there are people who he adopted as his family. He wanted to be with them in such a way. I don’t find it very right. He will understand this in the future,” he added.

The controversy surrounding Onyekuru’s behaviour has overshadowed Adana Demirspor’s impressive push for European qualification this season. The team is fourth in the Turkish Super Lig, five points behind the European qualification places.

With just a few games left, Adana Demirspor will hope to maintain their momentum and secure a place in next season’s continental competitions.