Star African football player to watch: Boulaye Dia

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Viewers on DStv can look forward to seeing one of Africa’s top footballers, Senegalese forward Boulaye Dia, in Serie A action this coming weekend.

Dia is in the midst of his first season in Italian football, having joined Salernitana for a season-long loan from Spanish club Villarreal.

Born in Oyonnax in France, the 25-year-old has also represented Jura Sud and Reims in his club career, while on the international front he has played for Senegal since 2020 and was part of their Africa Cup of Nations winning squad earlier this year.

Dia has settled well into life in the south of Italy, establishing himself as a regular for ‘I Granata’ and scoring some key goals along the way. For example, he recently netted in Salernitana’s surprise 3-1 away win over heavyweights Lazio at the end of October.

“Lazio had conceded very few goals and scoring three in a single match is a source of great satisfaction,” said coach Davide Nicola.

“I really liked the conviction of the team returning to the field in the second half because they were aware that they were doing well. The growth of the group is made up of steps and when you work well you can achieve important results.”

The player himself is happy to have adapted quickly to Italian football: “It’s a different experience compared to Spain, but the coaches and players have helped me a lot,” said Dia, who is set to be a part of Senegal’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I enjoy my football here and I hope to help Salernitana have a great season. There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work in front of us, but we are enjoying the support of the fans and embracing the challenge.”

In fact, Dia has been such a hit in Serie A that he has attracted serious transfer interest across Europe. Premier League club Everton, for example, have been strongly linked with a move for the Teranga Lions star, with manager Frank Lampard identifying him as an alternative/replacement for injury-prone centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Dia will hope to further underline his class and progress when Salernitana take on Monza on Sunday afternoon, a match you can see LIVE on SuperSport OTT3 and SuperSport Maximo 1.

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See Boulaye Dia in the following match live on SuperSport:

All times CAT

Sunday 13 November

16:00: Monza v Salernitana – LIVE on SuperSport OTT3 and SuperSport Maximo 1

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