Friendship put on hold: Diomande set to face his "brother" on Friday | OneFootball

On Friday evening, Yan Diomande and RB Leipzig will be determined to come out on top against Bazoumana Touré and TSG Hoffenheim. The game is set to be extra-special in both a sporting and personal sense for the two dynamic forwards.

Friendship formed with "The Elephants"

Just over two months ago, the pair stood side-by-side as teammates at the Africa Cup of Nations. Yan Diomande and Bazoumana Touré each scored in a 3-0 win over Burkina Faso to reach the quarter-finals, where they then shared in the disappointment of missing out on the semi-finals. Their journey with “The Elephants” ended after a 3-2 defeat to Egypt.

Their friendship was clear to see on Instagram after the tournament had ended. Touré's comment under Yan's post read “Mon frère” (English: “my brother”), with Diomande replying "Le sang", which roughly translates to "blood brother".

They first played together on 6th June, 2025, with Ivory Coast’s U23 team (a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands). Through the senior national team camps that followed, a close friendship developed. However, on Friday evening, that friendship will be put on hold, as Diomande explains.

Rivals on the pitch

“He's my friend. We talk pretty much every day, but on the pitch, we put that friendship on hold. He always wants to win, I always want to win,” emphasised the winger in reference to Touré. Friday's clash at the Red Bull Arena could prove crucial in the race for Champions League qualification.

For RB Leipzig, the goal is to draw level on points with Touré’s Hoffenheim. A Leipzig win would put both clubs on 50 points, with Hoffenheim only ahead for the time being on goal difference.

Despite taking the lead early on through Diomande, Leipzig were beaten 3-1 by Hoffenheim in the reverse fixture. Touré played as a left-striker in a 4-4-2 alongside Tim Lemperle, while Diomande operated as a right-winger in Leipzig’s 4-3-3.

Recently, Touré has been playing as a left-winger in a 4-3-3. The two could end up going head-to-head on that side of the pitch.

Who will come out on top?

Diomande is slightly quicker than his friend Touré, having clocked in at a top speed of 36.3 km/h this season. The Hoffenheim winger isn't too far behind, though, having reached 35.98 km/h. Both players are among the quickest in the league, so expect a whirlwind down the flanks on Friday.

One thing is certain: Diomande and Touré are both difference makers. With ten goals and five assists, Diomande is one of the breakout stars of the season, most recently scoring in a 2-1 win over Augsburg. Touré, with seven assists, is among the Bundesliga’s top creators and set up the equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Wolfsburg.

In the summer, Diomande and Touré will join forces again at the World Cup with Ivory Coast, one of Germany’s three group-stage opponents. There is a chance they could be going up against RB Leipzig's full-backs David Raum, Ridle Baku, and Benny Henrichs.

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