Player Profile

At the MTN Africa Cup of Nations in 2006 in Egypt next year, there will, in all likelihood, be a ‘Serial Killer’ on the prowl. But before you start panicking and canceling your travel plans, ‘Serial Killer’ is merely the name given to Senegal’s greatest talent, El Hadji Diouf! Diouf’s exceptional ability was revealed to the world during Senegal’s qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup, when he scored eight goals in eight games, helping the Taranga Lions to their first ever World Cup.  
This, and Diouf’s form in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations attracted the interest of Liverpool, who snapped him up for a cool ten million pounds before the World Cup had even started. And it looked money well spent as Diouf terrorized defences in Japan and Korea, helping Senegal all the way to the quarterfinals.

In the 2006 MTN Africa Cup of Nations/Fifa World Cup qualifies, Diouf managed two goals, one of them a crucial striker away to Zambia, but Senegal’s bid to qualify for Germany ultimately failed. Diouf, however, has revitalized his club career at Bolton, netting nine league goals last season as Bolton qualified for the Uefa Cup. So perhaps Egypt can also provide an upturn in his international fortunes.