Ligue 1’s top scorer with Paris FC, Lassine Sinayoko has yet to score for Mali, who face Rwanda on 13 and 17 November. The striker wants to break his duck for his national team.
Nine goals in ten Ligue 1 matches: Lassine Sinayoko leads the French top-flight scoring charts with Paris FC. Five assists can be added to that haul, according to Ligue1.com. But in the Mali shirt, his tally remains stuck on zero.
The contrast is stark. At club level, the striker has been directly involved in 14 of Paris FC’s 17 goals this season, according to beIN Sports. For his national team, he started both qualifiers without finding the net. The double-header against Rwanda on 13 and 17 November gives him another chance to make his mark.
Auxerre, a goal without celebration
On 7 November, on the pitch at Auxerre, Sinayoko scored the only goal in Paris FC’s win over his former club. A goal he did not celebrate, reports ICI. Last season he wore the Auxerre shirt, scoring 12 goals in 32 matches according to ESPN.
Four trials and a pair of socks
Sinayoko’s path has been anything but a straight line. Born in Bamako, he was a year old when his parents emigrated to France; the family settled in Taverny, reports Tribuna.com. The youngest of four children grew up with a mother who did not work and a father who was a delivery driver.
Before getting his chance, he failed four trials and almost gave up football, according to the same source. It was thanks to his socks that he finally got that chance. “It wasn’t easy, but we never lacked anything. We were happy and content,” he told Tribuna.com.
Rwanda, the first test
For Mali, Sinayoko started both qualifiers. He provided an assist in the 3-1 win over Cape Verde, then played in the 1-0 victory over Liberia, according to beIN Sports. Two starts, no goals: his tally is still empty.
Mali, second in Group K with 6 points, face Rwanda, top of the group with the same total, on Friday 13 November at 19:00 GMT in Bamako. The return match will be played on Tuesday 17 November in Kigali.