Ousmane Diakite earns Mali call-up and chance of first cap | OneFootball

Albion midfielder Ousmane Diakite has been named in Mali’s squad for a friendly in Russia next week, giving the 25-year-old a chance to win his first senior cap.

His call-up comes a week after Albion activated a 12-month option to extend his contract, according to ExpressAndStar.com.

Diakite has represented Mali at under-17 and under-20 level but is yet to feature for the senior side. The friendly will be played in St Petersburg next Tuesday at the 67,500-capacity Gazprom Arena, home of Zenit.

His run in James Morrison’s starting line-up has coincided with an unbeaten sequence of four Championship matches, lifting the Baggies two places and four points clear of the drop zone. He has recently kept vice-captain Alex Mowatt out of the side.

Kick-off is at six pm, so the midfielder is not expected back in England until Wednesday at the earliest and will likely rejoin training on Thursday. That could hand Morrison a selection puzzle before Championship action resumes on Good Friday with promotion-chasing Wrexham visiting The Hawthorns.

Mali have been led by Belgian Tom Saintfiet for two years and reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in January, losing 1-0 to Senegal. Diakite was not part of that squad.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com