Drissa Diakité

Drissa Diakité
Born	(1985-02-18) February 18, 1985 Bamako, Mali
Occupation	Professional footballer (retired)
Years active	2003–2017
Known for	Defensive midfielder, right-back

Drissa Diakité (born 18 February 1985) is a retired Malian professional footballer who operated mainly as a defensive midfielder and occasionally as a right-back. Representing the Mali national team from 2004 to 2015, he earned 43 international caps and scored once.

Early career

Diakité, who hails from Bamako, Mali, initiated his football journey with Djoliba AC in Mali before transferring to Algerian club MC Alger.

Nice

In January 2006, Diakité joined French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice for an undisclosed transfer fee. Known for his physical style of play, he frequently featured as a defensive midfielder or right fullback and quickly gained the admiration of supporters. His debut came as a substitute during a 3–0 defeat to Marseille, completing five appearances in his initial half-season.

Throughout the 2006–07 campaign, he took part in 25 matches and attracted interest from clubs such as Newcastle United, Everton, and Real Zaragoza with potential offers around £3.5 million. His playing style drew comparisons to Patrick Vieira and Zé Roberto. Diakité secured a contract extension lasting until 2010.

The following season, 2007–08, saw him make 22 appearances and receive his inaugural red card in a goalless draw against Sochaux. Before the 2008–09 season, he renewed his contract again, this time extending it through 2011. He featured in 31 matches during both the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons. However, injuries and disciplinary challenges hampered his involvement during the 2010–11 season. A fibula fracture further limited him to just 16 outings in his final year with Nice.

After six years at the club, Diakité was released at the end of the 2011–12 season, having been informed in February 2012 that his contract would not be renewed.

Greece and return to France

In the summer of 2012, Diakité signed a one-year deal with Greek giants Olympiacos. Despite this move, he managed only four appearances and struggled to establish himself as a regular starter. After the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, Olympiacos decided against renewing his contract.

Subsequently, Diakité returned to French football by signing a two-year contract with Bastia on 29 May 2013.

International career

Diakité represented Mali at the U-20 level during the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, where the team finished third in their group stage. He also played at the 2004 Olympic Games football tournament; Mali topped Group A but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Italy.

International goals

The scores list Mali's tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	25 March 2015	Stade Pierre Brisson, Beauvais	Template:Fb	1–0	3–4	Friendly

Honours

Olympiacos

• Super League Greece: 2012–13

Mali

• Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2012