Olympique de Marseille forward Iliman Ndiaye returned to his boyhood club this season, and although it was a challenging start, the 23-year-old is beginning to find his goal-scoring form.
Olympique de Marseille forward Iliman Ndiaye returned to his boyhood club this season, and although it was a challenging start, the 23-year-old is beginning to find his goal-scoring form.
Before deciding to return to OM, Ndiaye experienced a successful tenure with Sheffield United. The goal scorer made 88 appearances for the Blades, scoring 22 goals and registering 14 assists.
Ndiaye faced a significant transition from playing for Sheffield United to joining one of France's top clubs, and this adjustment wasn't smooth sailing for him at the beginning. Marseille's newest goal scorer only had one goal before leaving the club in late December to play for Senegal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d'Ivoire.
At AFCON, Ndiaye registered one goal and provided one assist in four matches. Although Senegal's journey ended in the Round of 16, Ndiaye carried his impressive form back to Marseille, where he wasted no time impacting the scoresheet.
Ndiaye’s first two goals with OM have come on the road against AS Monaco in league play. Then, upon returning from the AFCON, he scored in Marseille’s first-leg UEFA Europa League tie against FC Shakhtar Donetsk. The forward eventually registered his first goal at the Stade Vélodrome in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Montpellier HSC.
πΈπ³π¦ Passage en force @iliman_ndiaye πͺ !
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) February 25, 2024
π @OM_Officiel #OMMHSC (4-1) pic.twitter.com/M8fuTbUM1F
Scoring against Montpellier marked a full-circle moment for Ndiaye. His football journey involved leaving OM at a young age to move to Senegal, where he joined Dakar Sacré-Cœur. Following his father’s move to England, Ndiaye joined him and became a member of the youth side at Boreham Wood, eventually signing his first contract with the club.
In his postgame comments to L’Equipe, he described how the emotions flooded him after his goal equalized the score, leaving him unsure of what to do next.
“I didn’t even know how to celebrate. I’ve always wanted to score in this stadium since I was very young [and] I hope this goal won’t be the last... Without getting carried away, I undoubtedly played my best match with OM.”
For Marseille to go far in the Europa League and secure a spot in a European competition next season, they'll rely on Ndiaye to deliver, and he seems ready to step up to the challenge.
