African Kings | Part 9 | A Massive Act of Deception

A bizarre 12 months saw Trebor Mahtal move to South Africa but jump ship after the Cape Town City board intervened in his transfer policy, then nearly end up in a Senegalese title race. That gave him some hope for success at Diambars FC in the 2034/35 season, as he looked to youth in the face of more financial challenges in African football.

The first team was in serious need of a makeover but, before that could really began, an intriguing situation arose. Massively underperforming league favourites Génération Foot sacked their manager and Mahtal cheekily threw his hat into the ring, not really expecting a call. However, on 21 June, he was invited for an interview and, 4 days later, the 5-time champions approached the Zambian. And, realistically, this was a no-brainer of a move, considering Diambars’ shoddy finances and the opportunity to work for a true wonderkid factory.

Who Are Génération Foot?

AS Académie Génération Foot, also known as Association Sportive Génération Foot, is a football club based in the Senegalese capital Dakar. The club was founded by Mady Touré in 2000 and has a long-standing reputation for developing wonderkids, including Sadio Mané, Ismaila Sarr, Papiss Cissé, Pape Matar Sarr and current real-life talent Amara Diouf. The club won its first Senegalese title in 2017, added two more in 2019 and 2023 and has won another two in this save in 2032 and 2033. However, a poor campaign last time around saw them sit as low as 11th before finally climbing to 6th courtesy of defeating Mahtal’s Diambars on the final day.

Génération Foot play at the 2,500 capacity Stade Djibril Diagne, which is supported by good training facilities, excellent youth facilities and good academy coaching and youth recruitment. The club also has solid finances with £451k in the bank, a £20k transfer budget and £5.5k spare in an £11.7k weekly wage budget. Mahtal boosted that by allowing 8 players to leave at the end of their contracts and sold 4 more for around £40k, which freed up another £1,500 in wages.

Mahtal’s rather traitorous decision was justified based on the quality of players available, led by goalkeeper Diaw Mbacké Coly, 25-year-old midfielders Sébastien Nogueira and Ibrahima Sow, 19-year-old full back Baye Gora Fayé and attackers Ismaila Sagna, who looks weak technically but has superb pace, Babacar Guéye, Urbain Boissy and Alioune Badara Sylla. But there was plenty of young talent alongside them, including 19-year-old striker Maissa Thiakane, 17-year-old goalkeeper Iba Fofaná, midfielder Abou Ngom and a handful of promising 16-year-olds.

Diambars fans would have been even more incredulous as he returned to the club to snap up two 18-year-olds, striker Christian Touré and centre back Ababacar N’Diaye, for a combined £80k.

The squad had a heavy lean on wide players, so Mahtal decided to implement a take on a 4-2-3-1 that encouraged dribbling abd expressive play while playing with a slightly higher tempo and passing the ball into space. Nogueira is the primary playmaker from deep with Sow looking to pull the strings slightly higher up the pitch and Sagna and Guéye, with pressure from Sylla and Boissy for their places, providing wide threat in support of Thiakane.

Targeting the Title at Génération Foot

Génération Foot were huge title favourites at 8/11 to win Ligue 1, followed by Casa Sports (6/1), Dakar Sacré-Coeur (11/1), holders Oslo FA (18/1) and Diambars (20/1). The Senegalese season doesn’t start until early November so Mahtal had a long wait before his first match. His reign began with a trip to Jeanne d’Arc and a late goal off the bench by Boissy, from a delicious Sow throughball, nicked a 1-0 victory, before a 4-1 thumping of Jamono on his home debut and a 2-1 win at SONACOS thanks to Sylla’s brace.

The winning start finally ended with a 2-2 at home to Ouakam, courtesy of Coly gifting them both goals. But they bounced back in style with back-to-back club record wins, as Guéye’s brace led a 6-0 away hammering of Rufisque followed by Thiakane and Sow scoring twice with a Sagna assist hat trick in an 8-1 thrashing of Jamono. With 14 games remaining, Mahtal had already led Génération Foot to a club record goals haul of 53 and just 1 behind Jaraaf’s all-time league record set back in 2003. And that record was broken as Nogueira and Sagna earned a slightly more subdued 2-1 victory at home to Jeanne d’Arc.

A hostile atmosphere welcomed Mahtal back to Diambars for the first time since his summer deception in early March. And that hostility paid off as his former club shockingly raced into a 4-0 lead inside half an hour and won 4-2. He dropped Coly for youngster Fofana and they returned to form with a Guéye hat trick inspiring a 3-1 win at Dakar to extend their lead to 14 points with 10 games remaining. A 1-0 defeat at Teungeuth, despite having 25 shots to 7 with Coly back in goal for the injured Fofana, trimmed that lead, as did a 1-1 at home to Linguére, leaving them 9 points clear with 5 games remaining – thanks to Dakar going on an 8-game winning streak.

Game 26 – Jaraaf (14th, away): Jaraaf had improved over the second half of the season, but they were no match for a supreme Mendez display as he scored 15 minutes into both halves either side of laying on a goal for Thiakane. Dakar’s winning run ended dramatically with a 3-0 defeat at home to Guédiawaye, putting Génération Foot on the verge of the title.

Game 27 – US Gorée (7th, home): One point from the next 4 games would be enough to secure the title. But Génération Foot looked in the mood to get it done quickly as, after the world’s longest kickoff highlight, a stunning Guéye volley from a deep Sagna cross put them ahead after 3 minutes. Gorée controlled the rest of the first half without creating too much. The hosts regained control after the break but, despite having 20 shots, they couldn’t add to the lead and settled for a comfortable 1-0 win.

Génération Foot won their 6th Senegalese title!

Génération Foot went on to win Ligue 1 by 8 points from Dakar. They set a new record 76 points, including a record 24 wins and 78 goals. Amusingly, Dakar exceeded the highest points tally so far in this save (60), only to finish in 2nd. Thiakane was the 2nd top score with 15 in 30, with Mendez joint 6th on 13, while Mendez had the most shots (117, 15 more than anyone else and 4.6 per match) and was 2nd only to Sagna on 12 and 13 assists respectively and Sagna and Sow had the most key passes (123 and 106).

Mahtal Lifts Title After Tumultuous 2 Years

A chaotic couple of years had seen Mahtal manage 3 clubs, departing South Africa prematurely before jumping ship from Diambars with the sole aim of targeting the Senegalese title. And he was delighted to have vindicated that decision. Mendez was undoubtedly the star of the season as, despite being considered a fringe player and having oddly never even played for the club in the five seasons before this, he delivered 14 goals and 12 assists. The promising Thiakane top-scored with 16 goals, while Guéye (13 goals and 10 assists), Sagna (10 goals and 13 assists), Sow (8 goals and 9 assists) and Faye (6 assists) also impressed.

However, the title success meant that Mahtal’s time in Dakar was at an end, and he wouldn’t be renewing his contract. But where would he end up as he went in search of the 9th club on this African Adventure? Join us on Monday to find out!