West Brom ace rewarded for form with chance to earn first cap for country

Albion ace Ousmane Diakite has been rewarded for his club form with the chance at a first senior international cap.

Diakite, 25, has been included in Mali’s squad for a friendly away to Russia next week.

The call makes it a case for double celebration battling midfielder, who last week saw his contract at The Hawthorns extended for another 12 months due to a club option being triggered.

Diakite has youth caps for his nation at under-17 and under-20 level but is yet to play for the west African nation’s senior side.

He will have the chance to do so in a friendly in the Russian capital of St Petersburg next Tuesday - in the 67,500 capacity Gazprom Arena, the home of giants Zenit.

The inclusion is reward for a run James Morrison’s improving Albion side in the battle against Championship relegation.

Diakite’s place in Morrison’s starting line-up has corresponded with Albion’s unbeaten run of four matches in the Championship.

That sequence has lifted the Baggies two places and four points above the second-tier drop zone.

Mali have been managed by Belgian Tom Saintfiet for two years and reached the quarter-final of the African Cup of Nations in January before a 1-0 defeat to Senegal. Diakite was not included in that squad.

The friendly in Russia next Tuesday is a 6pm kick-off and as a result the midfielder will not return to England until into Wednesday at the earliest and will likely return to Albion training on Thursday.

It could leave a head-scratcher for head coach Morrison, whose troops return to Championship action on Good Friday with a home clash against promotion-chasing Wrexham at The Hawthorns.

Diakite has kept vice-captain and previous regular Alex Mowatt out of the side under Morrison of late.

The midfielder checked into Albion as a free transfer signing after departing TSV Hartberg in the Austrian Bundesliga in 2024.