Marked for Daniel Graskoski
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad8 Jul 2030
133 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad8 Jul 2030
“The easiest signature of my career.” Oussama Benbout and USM Alger agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad8 Jul 2030
Riad Benayad in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at USM Alger this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad8 Jul 2030
Ilyes Chetti knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at USM Alger, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market8 Jul 2030
The Ilyes Chetti talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. USM Alger know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Market8 Jul 2030
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Daniel Graskoski arrives at USM Alger with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market24 Jun 2030
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Boubacar Kouyate will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around US Bougouba the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad24 Jun 2030
Mnqobi Mzize was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market24 Jun 2030
The clock does Daniel Graskoski’s negotiating for him
1 months left, and both sides know what that means: every week without a signature, the fee US Bougouba could ask drops and the wages Daniel Graskoski can ask rise.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market17 Jun 2030
Saleh Abakar hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad17 Jun 2030
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market17 Jun 2030
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. US Bougouba will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
Squad17 Jun 2030
Daniel Graskoski asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad17 Jun 2030
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to David Ochieng, and the manager let it.
Market17 Jun 2030
The name of Timothy Omale keeps appearing in other people's back pages. US Bougouba say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market10 Jun 2030
David Ochieng hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad10 Jun 2030
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad10 Jun 2030
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Lehlohonolo Sepeng, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad27 May 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market27 May 2030
1 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what US Bougouba could get for him.
Market27 May 2030
The name of Stephen Wisdom keeps appearing in other people's back pages. US Bougouba say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market20 May 2030
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around US Bougouba they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad20 May 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad20 May 2030
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market29 Apr 2030
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad29 Apr 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad29 Apr 2030
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market22 Apr 2030
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around US Bougouba they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad22 Apr 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad22 Apr 2030
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at US Bougouba, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad1 Apr 2030
A season average of 7.78 with 17 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Market1 Apr 2030
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Match30 Mar 2030
Still nobody has beaten US Bougouba
The unbeaten run reaches 8. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Squad1 Apr 2030
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings1 Apr 2030
Marked 10.00 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad1 Apr 2030
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Player ratings1 Apr 2030
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.34, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings1 Apr 2030
Marked 8.13 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Match30 Mar 2030
It needed Mamoutou Berthé to find the net to bring anything home at all: 3‑3 against AS Korofina, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad25 Mar 2030
15 goals and a season average of 7.72. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Squad25 Mar 2030
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market25 Mar 2030
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around US Bougouba they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Match23 Mar 2030
Whatever happens, US Bougouba do not lose
7 games unbeaten now. Some were earned and some were survived, but a habit is forming — and habits are the hardest thing in football to play against.
Squad25 Mar 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings25 Mar 2030
Marked 9.31 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match9 Mar 2030
AS Police will want this one forgotten quickly: 3‑0, every duel lost, and a long ride home. US Bougouba were ruthless in the way good sides are ruthless.
Squad11 Mar 2030
A season average of 7.69 with 13 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Player ratings11 Mar 2030
A defender's afternoon for Timothy Omale
Defensive actions: 27. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Market11 Mar 2030
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad11 Mar 2030
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad11 Mar 2030
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings11 Mar 2030
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 10.00, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings11 Mar 2030
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.57, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad11 Mar 2030
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match2 Mar 2030
No end in sight to US Bougouba's wait for a win
9 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at US Bougouba has to find a result from somewhere.
Market4 Mar 2030
Saleh Abakar hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Player ratings4 Mar 2030
Successful dribbles: 23. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Player ratings4 Mar 2030
Defensive actions: 23, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Squad4 Mar 2030
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad4 Mar 2030
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Enock Momanyi and US Bougouba agree another 3 years.
Squad4 Mar 2030
A season average of 7.23 with 5 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Squad4 Mar 2030
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Lehlohonolo Sepeng, and the manager let it.
Match2 Mar 2030
The crowd waited for a goal that never came. FC Diarra defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad18 Feb 2030
There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match16 Feb 2030
No end in sight to US Bougouba's wait for a win
7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at US Bougouba has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad18 Feb 2030
11 goals and a season average of 7.59. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Squad18 Feb 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings18 Feb 2030
A defender's afternoon for Hamari Maiga
Defensive actions: 17. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Player ratings18 Feb 2030
A mark of 7.63, and nobody in the ground would argue with it. He was involved in everything that mattered and most of what did not.
Player ratings18 Feb 2030
Successful dribbles: 14. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad18 Feb 2030
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Taniela Rakariva, and the manager let it.
Match16 Feb 2030
Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. AS Bakaridjan will be the happier side with the point.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match2 Feb 2030
No end in sight to US Bougouba's wait for a win
5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at US Bougouba has to find a result from somewhere.
Player ratings4 Feb 2030
Successful dribbles: 25. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad4 Feb 2030
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match2 Feb 2030
Beaten 0‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad4 Feb 2030
Mnqobi Mzize gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad4 Feb 2030
A season average of 7.21 with 5 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Market4 Feb 2030
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Stephen Wisdom signs something — a contract at US Bougouba or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
Player ratings4 Feb 2030
Marked 5.80, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.
Market4 Feb 2030
5 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what US Bougouba could get for him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad28 Jan 2030
There were 10 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Player ratings28 Jan 2030
Successful dribbles: 34. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match26 Jan 2030
1‑2 against Stade Malien, and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.
The terraces28 Jan 2030
The boos come down from three sides
“We pay for this every fortnight. The least we want is somebody who looks like he cares.” 9 of the 27 senior players walked off into it; the rest were not playing.
Squad28 Jan 2030
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market28 Jan 2030
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market28 Jan 2030
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around US Bougouba they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Match26 Jan 2030
4 matches without a win for US Bougouba
The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around US Bougouba are no longer polite ones.
Squad28 Jan 2030
Mnqobi Mzize was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market21 Jan 2030
The bid was some way short and US Bougouba did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad21 Jan 2030
A season average of 7.62 with 11 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Market21 Jan 2030
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad21 Jan 2030
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match19 Jan 2030
US Bougouni left with the points after a 2‑3 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Player ratings21 Jan 2030
Marked 9.07 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad21 Jan 2030
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad21 Jan 2030
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Daniel Graskoski knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Market21 Jan 2030
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. US Bougouba will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market14 Jan 2030
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Market14 Jan 2030
Add another name to the list: Stade Malien have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Daniel Graskoski. The answer from US Bougouba has not changed — yet.
Squad14 Jan 2030
A season average of 7.57 with 10 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Squad14 Jan 2030
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match12 Jan 2030
Beaten 2‑4, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Player ratings14 Jan 2030
A performance of 8.97 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad14 Jan 2030
“The easiest signature of my career.” Mohamed El Deghemy and US Bougouba agree another 1 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad14 Jan 2030
The manager makes an example of Enock Momanyi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market14 Jan 2030
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. US Bougouba will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad31 Dec 2029
There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad31 Dec 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad31 Dec 2029
Defences have started doubling up on Mamoutou Berthé
8 goals and a season average of 7.47 will do that. The space he used to find has gone; he keeps scoring anyway, which is the mark of the real thing.
Player ratings31 Dec 2029
A performance of 8.88 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad31 Dec 2029
Mnqobi Mzize gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Player ratings31 Dec 2029
A performance of 8.43 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings31 Dec 2029
Successful dribbles: 13. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Player ratings31 Dec 2029
5.33 on the card. Some afternoons a footballer looks like a man who has only just been introduced to the game, and this was one of them.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match1 Dec 2029
0‑3 against FC Diarra, and no complaints that would survive the replay. The manager spoke about character afterwards; the terraces used shorter words.
Player ratings3 Dec 2029
Successful dribbles: 31. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad3 Dec 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad3 Dec 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Timothy Omale, and the manager let it.
Boardroom3 Dec 2029
The music was off and the showers ran late. What was said in that dressing room stays there, but Saturday will publish the minutes.
Squad3 Dec 2029
The award is a small thing with a heavy meaning: for four weeks nobody in this division did his job better. US Bougouba have the trophy on a shelf and the player in the side.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match24 Nov 2029
1‑4 against Real Bamako, and no complaints that would survive the replay. The manager spoke about character afterwards; the terraces used shorter words.
Player ratings26 Nov 2029
Successful dribbles: 33. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Market26 Nov 2029
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad26 Nov 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad26 Nov 2029
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Daniel Graskoski knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Squad26 Nov 2029
Mnqobi Mzize gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Player ratings26 Nov 2029
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.29, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Boardroom26 Nov 2029
Nobody left the US Bougouba dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
Squad26 Nov 2029
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Lassana Kante and US Bougouba agree another 3 years.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad12 Nov 2029
The match ball belongs to Mamoutou Berthé, whose 3 goals turned a difficult afternoon into a procession.
Squad12 Nov 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Squad12 Nov 2029
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings12 Nov 2029
A performance of 9.97 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Match10 Nov 2029
A 3‑2 win over Onze Createurs, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad12 Nov 2029
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Mohamed El Deghemy and US Bougouba agree another 1 years.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match31 Oct 2029
A 1‑0 win over US Bougouni, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?
Squad5 Nov 2029
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad5 Nov 2029
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Mnqobi Mzize commits to US Bougouba for another 4 years.
Squad5 Nov 2029
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings5 Nov 2029
A performance of 8.87 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings5 Nov 2029
A performance of 8.28 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad5 Nov 2029
The manager makes an example of Sunday Adehi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match3 Nov 2029
It needed Eugene Amankwah to find the net to bring anything home at all: 1‑1 against Etoiles du Mande, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.
Player ratings5 Nov 2029
Successful dribbles: 14. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Player ratings29 Oct 2029
Successful dribbles: 36. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match27 Oct 2029
0‑3 against Stade Malien, and no complaints that would survive the replay. The manager spoke about character afterwards; the terraces used shorter words.
Squad29 Oct 2029
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” US Bougouba may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad29 Oct 2029
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad29 Oct 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom29 Oct 2029
Nobody left the US Bougouba dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
Squad29 Oct 2029
Taniela Rakariva asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Player ratings29 Oct 2029
Shots: 7, not one of them in. A centre forward is paid for one thing, and on this evidence he has forgotten which thing it is.
Player ratings29 Oct 2029
Marked 5.43, and generously at that. Nothing came off, and by the end the crowd had stopped expecting it to.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Player ratings22 Oct 2029
Successful dribbles: 32. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad22 Oct 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 8 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market22 Oct 2029
Saleh Abakar hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad22 Oct 2029
“I have given this everything, but my family is not here and neither am I, not really.” A footballer can be coached out of bad form. Nobody has ever been coached out of this, and US Bougouba know it.
Squad22 Oct 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match20 Oct 2029
0‑1 to US Bougouni, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad15 Oct 2029
There were 12 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market15 Oct 2029
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad15 Oct 2029
Daniel Graskoski: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” US Bougouba have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market15 Oct 2029
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at US Bougouba is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad15 Oct 2029
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad15 Oct 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mnqobi Mzize, and the manager let it.
Match13 Oct 2029
0‑1 to Djoliba, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Player ratings15 Oct 2029
Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Market15 Oct 2029
The name of Mamoutou Berthé keeps appearing in other people's back pages. US Bougouba say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad1 Oct 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad1 Oct 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad1 Oct 2029
He trains hard, says the right things and goes home to an empty flat. Nobody at US Bougouba has done anything wrong, which is exactly what makes it so difficult to fix.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market27 Aug 2029
Itay Hazut hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Market27 Aug 2029
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Market27 Aug 2029
The interest is real enough to have reached print. US Bougouba have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad27 Aug 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market27 Aug 2029
FC Diarra are about to pick up the phone
A conversation is coming this week. US Bougouba will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.
Squad27 Aug 2029
Daniel Graskoski asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market20 Aug 2029
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad20 Aug 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad20 Aug 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Nhlonipho Mtshali, and the manager let it.
Market20 Aug 2029
Daniel Madu is 19, and US Bougouba have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
Squad20 Aug 2029
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Daniel Madu commits to US Bougouba for another 3 years.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market9 Jul 2029
Williams Wonah has one foot out of the door
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around US Bougouba they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Market9 Jul 2029
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market9 Jul 2029
The offer from Etoiles du Mande for Modibo Kone was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Squad9 Jul 2029
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad9 Jul 2029
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Daniel Graskoski trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Boardroom2 Jul 2029
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Market2 Jul 2029
Itay Hazut hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad2 Jul 2029
There are footballers who have a good season and footballers a season is remembered for, and the second kind get their names read out in a hall in the summer. US Bougouba will be quietly delighted and privately nervous.
Squad2 Jul 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad2 Jul 2029
Daniel Graskoski asks for a word with the manager
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market2 Jul 2029
The clock does Williams Wonah’s negotiating for him
1 months left, and both sides know what that means: every week without a signature, the fee US Bougouba could ask drops and the wages Williams Wonah can ask rise.
Boardroom2 Jul 2029
$280.5K taken back off the US Bougouba table
What was available in the summer has quietly gone. Upstairs nobody will call it a change of ambition; downstairs nobody will call it anything else.
Market2 Jul 2029
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Eugene Amankwah signs something — a contract at US Bougouba or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
Market2 Jul 2029
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Kwanele Msomi may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Boardroom4 Jun 2029
Daouda Bagayoko has until the next board meeting
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at US Bougouba can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
Market4 Jun 2029
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad4 Jun 2029
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” US Bougouba may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad4 Jun 2029
23 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
Squad4 Jun 2029
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Loan watch4 Jun 2029
“I watch every US Bougouba game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at Djoliba runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Market4 Jun 2029
2 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs US Bougouba money.
Boardroom4 Jun 2029
$280.5K taken back off the US Bougouba table
What was available in the summer has quietly gone. Upstairs nobody will call it a change of ambition; downstairs nobody will call it anything else.
Squad4 Jun 2029
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Boardroom7 May 2029
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Market7 May 2029
Itay Hazut hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad7 May 2029
The medical room confirms 51 days on the sidelines for Stephen Wisdom, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad7 May 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Loan watch7 May 2029
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at US Bougouba, and 0 appearances in 17 say he has earned the hearing.
Squad7 May 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Lungisani Mncwabe, and the manager let it.
Boardroom7 May 2029
US Bougouba pull $280.5K back off the table
The money that was there in the summer is not there now. Nobody upstairs calls this a change of ambition, and everybody downstairs reads it as one.
Market7 May 2029
3 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs US Bougouba money.
Squad7 May 2029
Itay Hazut knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at US Bougouba, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market9 Apr 2029
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad9 Apr 2029
The medical room confirms 79 days on the sidelines for Stephen Wisdom, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad9 Apr 2029
14 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
Squad9 Apr 2029
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad9 Apr 2029
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Moussa Tamboura commits to US Bougouba for another 3 years.
Loan watch9 Apr 2029
“I did not go to Djoliba to sit and watch. I want to come back to US Bougouba and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 13 matches say the rest.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market12 Mar 2029
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad12 Mar 2029
107 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
Player ratings12 Mar 2029
Successful dribbles: 22. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad12 Mar 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad12 Mar 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mnqobi Mzize, and the manager let it.
Loan watch12 Mar 2029
“I did not go to Djoliba to sit and watch. I want to come back to US Bougouba and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.
Player ratings12 Mar 2029
A mark of 7.62, and nobody in the ground would argue with it. He was involved in everything that mattered and most of what did not.
Match10 Mar 2029
1‑1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad12 Mar 2029
Itay Hazut knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Itay Hazut trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Player ratings12 Feb 2029
Successful dribbles: 34. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Market12 Feb 2029
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad12 Feb 2029
Stephen Wisdom was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match10 Feb 2029
1‑2 to Onze Createurs, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad12 Feb 2029
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Abdelrahman Sherif and US Bougouba agree another 4 years.
Loan watch12 Feb 2029
“I did not go to Djoliba to sit and watch. I want to come back to US Bougouba and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 5 matches say the rest.
Squad12 Feb 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Boubacar Kouyate, and the manager let it.
Squad12 Feb 2029
Sandile Ndlovu knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Sandile Ndlovu trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
Market12 Feb 2029
The name of Timothy Omale keeps appearing in other people's back pages. US Bougouba say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match13 Jan 2029
4‑1, and Lamine Diakité took the headlines on an afternoon when everything Djoliba tried came off. Days like this are retold all winter.
Squad15 Jan 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Djoliba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad15 Jan 2029
8 goals and a season average of 7.54. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
A performance of 9.17 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
A performance of 8.81 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.83, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad15 Jan 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
Marked 8.27 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad15 Jan 2029
He is doing things on a Saturday afternoon that nobody around him can answer, which is flattering for about one season and a problem after that. Djoliba will not keep him by pretending otherwise.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad8 Jan 2029
The medical room confirms 15 days on the sidelines for Daniel Graskoski, and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad8 Jan 2029
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Mandala Konté and Djoliba agree another 2 years.
Squad8 Jan 2029
Amadou Soumaré was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings8 Jan 2029
A performance of 9.00 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad8 Jan 2029
Malick Touré gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom8 Jan 2029
$72.6K on the table at Djoliba
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
Player ratings8 Jan 2029
Successful dribbles: 15. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match6 Jan 2029
It finished 1‑1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Player ratings8 Jan 2029
Shots: 12, not one of them in. A centre forward is paid for one thing, and on this evidence he has forgotten which thing it is.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Boardroom1 Jan 2029
The silence upstairs is getting loud at US Bougouba
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Squad1 Jan 2029
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad1 Jan 2029
An individual honour is a strange thing in a team game, and the best of them are never argued with. He has had the sort of year that ends with his name being read out, and US Bougouba have had the benefit of it.
Market1 Jan 2029
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad1 Jan 2029
“The easiest signature of my career.” Mamoutou Berthé and US Bougouba agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad1 Jan 2029
Abdoul Bode in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match30 Dec 2028
Three points for US Bougouba, 2‑1 the final word against AS Korofina in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings1 Jan 2029
Marked 8.89 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings1 Jan 2029
Successful dribbles: 11. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match16 Dec 2028
10 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Market18 Dec 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad18 Dec 2028
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad18 Dec 2028
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad18 Dec 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings18 Dec 2028
A performance of 8.78 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings18 Dec 2028
Itay Hazut runs at them all day
Successful dribbles: 16. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Match16 Dec 2028
A 1‑1 draw with Afrique Foot Elite leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
Squad18 Dec 2028
Mnqobi Mzize knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Mnqobi Mzize trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match9 Dec 2028
9 matches without a win for US Bougouba
The run now stands at 9, and the questions being asked around US Bougouba are no longer polite ones.
Squad11 Dec 2028
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match11 Dec 2028
7 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Market11 Dec 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad11 Dec 2028
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match9 Dec 2028
1‑3 to AS Police, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Player ratings11 Dec 2028
Marked 8.61 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad11 Dec 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Mnqobi Mzize, and the manager let it.
Player ratings11 Dec 2028
Marked 8.00 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match2 Dec 2028
No end in sight to US Bougouba's wait for a win
8 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at US Bougouba has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad4 Dec 2028
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” US Bougouba may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market4 Dec 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad4 Dec 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match2 Dec 2028
Beaten 1‑2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Player ratings4 Dec 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.54, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad4 Dec 2028
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” David Ochieng and US Bougouba agree another 1 years.
Squad4 Dec 2028
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
Player ratings4 Dec 2028
Successful dribbles: 13. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match25 Nov 2028
7 matches without a win for US Bougouba
The run now stands at 7, and the questions being asked around US Bougouba are no longer polite ones.
Market27 Nov 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market27 Nov 2028
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around US Bougouba they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad27 Nov 2028
At 21, Mamoutou Berthé is already the best thing here
An average of 7.14 in a first team he is several years too young for. US Bougouba have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.
Squad27 Nov 2028
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match25 Nov 2028
Beaten 2‑3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Player ratings27 Nov 2028
A performance of 8.73 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad27 Nov 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Abdoul Bode, and the manager let it.
Squad27 Nov 2028
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market20 Nov 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Match18 Nov 2028
No end in sight to US Bougouba's wait for a win
6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at US Bougouba has to find a result from somewhere.
Player ratings20 Nov 2028
Successful dribbles: 22. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad20 Nov 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings20 Nov 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.05, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad20 Nov 2028
Itay Hazut gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad20 Nov 2028
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Daniel Graskoski knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Squad20 Nov 2028
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Boubacar Kouyate commits to US Bougouba for another 3 years.
Match18 Nov 2028
A 1‑1 draw with AS Bakaridjan leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market13 Nov 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad13 Nov 2028
Moussa Tamboura: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” US Bougouba have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Match11 Nov 2028
5 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Squad13 Nov 2028
Abdoul Bode was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad13 Nov 2028
The manager makes an example of Sandile Ndlovu
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings13 Nov 2028
Successful dribbles: 16. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match28 Oct 2028
Chastening afternoon for US Bougouba
A 0‑5 beating by Stade Malien was the sort of result that empties a stadium long before the final whistle.
Market30 Oct 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at US Bougouba, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market30 Oct 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at US Bougouba is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad30 Oct 2028
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad30 Oct 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Abdoul Bode, and the manager let it.
Player ratings30 Oct 2028
Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Boardroom30 Oct 2028
Nobody left the US Bougouba dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
Squad30 Oct 2028
Beaten 5 times, with 3 saves for company. Goalkeepers carry these scorelines on their record whoever actually caused them, which is the quiet injustice of the job.
Squad30 Oct 2028
Sandile Ndlovu knocks on the manager’s door
“Thirty minutes, door closed, everything said. We shook hands after.” Whatever was in the room stayed in the room, and Sandile Ndlovu trained the next morning like a man with less to carry.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Market16 Oct 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad16 Oct 2028
14 days, the scan says, and scans are kinder than reality. The fixtures in that window have just become somebody else’s job.
Squad16 Oct 2028
Mamoutou Berthé was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match14 Oct 2028
Three points for US Bougouba, 3‑1 the final word against Djoliba in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings16 Oct 2028
Marked 8.99 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings16 Oct 2028
Marked 8.78 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Squad16 Oct 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Sandile Ndlovu, and the manager let it.
Player ratings16 Oct 2028
A performance of 8.52 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad16 Oct 2028
“The easiest signature of my career.” Amadou Sissoko and US Bougouba agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market18 Sep 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what US Bougouba can pretend not to have heard.
Squad18 Sep 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at US Bougouba this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market18 Sep 2028
US Bougouba have let the market know Abdelrahman Sherif can be had. No price in the advert, but everyone in the trade knows roughly what it says.