by Michael Baggaley
michael.baggaley@thesentinel.co.uk

SALIF Diao has urged Stoke fans to lay off controversial Blackburn forward El Hadji Diouf tomorrow – and not just because he is helping with the City midfielder’s charity project.

Diouf is one of several stars who will play in a game in Turin on December 21 to promote anti-racism and raise money for Diao’s African children’s charity, CAAP Afrika, and for research into motor neurone
disease.

Didier Drogba, Patrice Evra, Samuel Eto’o and Pavel Nedved are among the big-name stars who should also be playing in the Africa versus Europe game.

Diao and Stoke captain Abdoulaye Faye will pair up with Diouf in Torino’s Olympic Stadium, although that won’t mean they will go easy on their Senegalese compatriot at Ewood Park.

The battle between Faye and Diouf should be a mouthwatering one, even though the former Bolton team-mates are friends as well as neighbours in the North West.

Diao said: “It is going to be a good game between those two. Every week they are on the phone together talking about what they’ve done. He lives right next to Abdoulaye so, when we lose a game, he will park his car in front of Abdoulaye’s house and give him a bit of stick on his way home.”

Diouf is clearly a brave man, but winding up the fearsome Faye is typical of a player who likes nothing better than having thousands of fans on his case.

Diao explained: “He is a really top class player, but he loves the adversity. If he’s not having a good day, he will do everything to provoke the fans and everyone else around him to help him raise his game. I would advise fans, whatever you do, just leave him alone. Don’t wake him up.”

There’s not much chance of the Everton fans ignoring Diouf the next time he goes to Goodison after the midfielder was at the centre of controversy there in September.

Blackburn’s ex-Liverpool forward was alleged to have racially abused a ball boy, but countered with claims he was racially abused by Everton fans and had bananas throw at him.

The Merseyside club was furious with Diouf after finding no bananas on the pitch or in the stands.

Diao, who arrived at Liverpool at the same time as Diouf in the wake of Senegal’s impressive displays at the 2002 World Cup, said: “He needs to watch himself because, whatever he does or says, people will always blame him. But I know him personally and he is a very good lad, even if he is a bit eccentric.

“He likes to be the centre of the world and that can be good because he does very good things for charity. But in another way it can be something not nice, and that’s why he needs to be careful and try to avoid those things.

“But he has hot blood, so if people provoke him he will react. He’s not scared about being in the eyes of everyone – he loves it.”
Diao is a more thoughtful character, although the 32-year-old City midfielder is not to be tangled with on the pitch.

He’s leaner and meaner this year having lost half a stone thanks to changing his diet. Blood tests showed Diao has an allergy to wheat, a problem he believes has contributed to the succession of muscle problems he’s suffered over the last few years.

He said: “I’ve had to change my diet completely, which I found weird. It was difficult for the first two weeks, but I’ve lost weight and feel a lot sharper at training. That’s helped me a lot.

“I’ve also had a lot of good advice from Robert Huth, who had the same problem when he was at Chelsea.

“When they told me, I thought ‘why did no-one think of it five or six years ago?’ But it’s all good. I think every player should have that blood test to make sure they are doing the right thing.”

Diao missed Stoke’s disappointing home draw with Wolves and their defeat at Hull because of a groin strain. He played an hour in the home win against Portsmouth last Sunday, but was not at his best as he hadn’t done a full week’s training.

But his performances at Tottenham and Everton earlier in the season show why Tony Pulis was keen to get the combative holding midfielder back in the side.

Pulis sanctioned a one-year deal for Diao at the end of last season just as it seemed he was on his way out of the club.

Diao would love to stay beyond the end of this season, but says he needs to state his case for a new deal by being fit enough to play regularly.
He said: “I love the club and really feel at home here. I feel wanted here and it is a family for me. But the only way I can make that happen is by playing week in, week out, and making sure the performances are there.

“Then, maybe we will sit down with the board to talk about a contract extension. But for the moment, it is up to me to keep my fitness levels up and deliver on the pitch.

“I have played just four games this season and I don’t think that’s good enough.”