El-Hadji Diouf is a winger, striker, and forward who currently plays for the Blackburn Rovers. He was born in St. Louis, Senegal on the 25th of January 1981 and started his football [soccer] career at an early age.
His full name was El-Hadji Ousseynou Diouf. He comes from a family of football [soccer] players. One example was his brother Dame Diouf who is a defender. He started his professional career with Sochaux before moving on to other clubs such as Stade Remais, RC Lens, Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, and finally with the Blackburn Rovers. He scored forty three goals in two hundred and eighty six appearances in his professional career.
During his career with the Senegalese National Football [Soccer] team, he scored sixteen goals in forty one appearances. During his time with Senegal, he participated in the 2002 World Cup and lead to Senegal to the quarter finals. Senegal had victories over France and Sweden which lead to this classification in the semi finals.
He also participated in the 2002 African Nations Cup in which Senegal was a runner up. El-Hadji Diouf was also named the BBC African Footballer of the Year in the same year. In the year 2004, he was named by Pele as one of the FIFA 100 and the youngest player to have received this honour.
At a time when people have been criticizing football [soccer] players and teams for having a love of money instead of love of country, El-Hadji Diouf managed to prove the opposite. He launched the Dioufy Foundation with the purpose of helping disadvantaged children in Senegal and Great Britain. His foundation was founded on the 3rd of January 2008 for that purpose. The foundation was established in cooperation with one of his friends named Akon. Akon is a hip hop singer.
When he is not playing football [soccer] or with his foundation, he spends time with his wife and daughter. We are in need of more football [soccer] players like El-Hadji Diouf who is an example of professional football [soccer] off an on the field. While those who like to talk about his four game suspensions in 2004 for assaulting verbally a referee Ali Bujsaim, it is unfair to judge a player on the basis of one incident.
The African Nation of Senegal, the Football [Soccer] Community, and the world is at least a better if not perfect place because of people like him. It is for this reason and more that he deserves a tribute to him and more.
Reference:
http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co. uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,1004~ 22623,00.html
http://www.helium.com/items/1341873-el-hadji-diouf-life-career
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