Free loan from Rennes: Seko Fofana shines for Porto in his debut | OneFootball

Signed from Stade Rennais at the close of the winter market, on loan with no additional costs and without a purchase option clause, Seko Fofana quickly made his mark while serving FC Porto.

The Ivorian international debuted in the dragons' jersey last Monday: at the 62nd minute, Francesco Farioli brought him on for Gabri Veiga, and just 14 minutes later, he scored a goal that secured the draw in the much-anticipated Classic against Sporting.

David da Costa, a Portuguese-French player who currently represents the Portland Timbers in the USA, was Seko's teammate at Lens between 2020 and 2023 and, in an interview with this Friday's edition of the newspaper O Jogo, said he was not surprised by the performance.

“He is a player full of ambition wherever he goes, very strong in his presence on the field. He gives a lot, performs a lot, and always wants more. He is the same in training and in the game,” said David da Costa, who completed his training with the French team before making the 'jump' to the MLS in 2025.

“Everyone liked him, he was very influential in the team because he also had a leader's soul and helped the team and colleagues to be at their best level. I remember a committed player, very focused. He is a great asset for FC Porto, brings a lot of quality, as has already been seen,” he continued.

“In terms of personality, expect someone incredible, always willing to help. He fights, scores, and assists, he runs a lot, and the coach always gets results. In the group, he is a great element, friendly and pleasant with everyone, likes to joke. He is incredible, offers friendship,” he concluded.

Tight Schedule Opens Opportunities for Seko Fofana

The performance against Sporting was, for now, a glimpse of what Fofana can bring to FC Porto. The midfielder is expected to gain more and more weight in the team's options, especially due to a demanding schedule that will require Francesco Farioli to manage the squad carefully.

The next match for the dragons is against Nacional, on Sunday at 3:30 PM (Portugal Mainland time), at Choupana. Until the next break for international commitments at the end of March, Francesco Farioli will have to prepare for nine more matches, all of great importance.

Scheduled confrontations include matches with Rio Ave (February 22, at Estádio do Dragão), Arouca (February 27, at Estádio do Dragão), Sporting (March 3, at Estádio José Alvalade), Benfica (date to be defined, at Estádio da Luz), Moreirense (date to be defined, at Estádio do Dragão), and Sporting de Braga (date to be defined, at Estádio Municipal de Braga).

Among these matches, on March 12 and 19, the two legs of the Europa League round of 16 will be played, where the Porto team could face Ludogorets, Ferencváros, Celtic, or Stuttgart, depending on the outcome of the playoffs and the draw.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.