Remember that whole thing about Adama Traoré allegedly saying he would represent Mali before being called up by Spain, and then pulling out because of injury?
Yeah? Well, it hasn’t gone down very well in Mali.
You see, there was excitement because the Wolverhampton Wanderers player is quite good at what he does, showcasing it once more with his assist at the weekend against West Ham, but that was taken away right from under their noses.
Among those who didn’t appreciate how everything went down was Cheickna Demba, the vice-president of the National Mali Supporters Group Union, who gave a press conference about it.
He said, relayed by Bamada: “There is a sense of desolation when you know Mali have been after this player for more than four years. We were very happy when we learned that he’d given his word to defend the colours of his country of origin. A man’s word is sacred in Mali.
“If he ever joins La Roja, he will sourly regret it. His presence isn’t indispensable for Mali because we have more talented players than him. We just wanted him to strengthen the team some more, but Mali can do without him.”
That’s not exactly the best sales pitch if you want to try and convince the Wolves winger to give up the chance of playing for Spain, the country he was born in, but what’s said is said.
On top of that, it’s made it to the internet, and everyone knows the internet is forever.