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Such a painful loss was all the more difficult for Diomond as he was away from his loved ones playing for Spanish side Leganes.
After subsequently moving to Germany and earning widespread praise for his performances and output, Diomande is now determined to succeed at the World Cup – not for himself, but for his sister, family and everyone else back home.
“We are here to represent millions of people and play for our loved ones and our families,” he said. “It makes us want to get out there and make an impact.”
Ivory Coast have played in the World Cup three times before – in 2006, 2010 and 2014 – but have never progressed beyond the group stage despite fielding a team including global icons such as Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
But their opening win over Ecuador put them in a strong position to improve and Diomonde believes there is one key difference between the current squad and previous teams.
“I think we have more desire,” he said. “We don’t have high expectations, so we have nothing to lose and we’ll give it our all. That’s the mentality we need to have.”
If Ivory Coast are to go far in the competition, Diomande will have to play a key role in their success. Despite his tender age, his teammates are confident in his ability to make a difference.
“The ‘golden boy’, we call him,” says Amad Diallo Manchester United The winger came off the bench to score the winner against Ecuador.
“Penetration, dribbling – his specialty, he’s someone who’s very strong one-on-one.”
