Seny Dieng is a good man to call in a crisis: he has scored two last-minute goals and replaced the world’s best goalkeeper at late notice to help his country win their first Africa Cup of Nations.
Now he is preparing to go to the World Cup with Senegal after helping QPR start the season impressively under Michael Beale, who turned down the Wolves job last month. The club sit sixth in the Championship going into their final match before the World Cup break, at Coventry on Saturday.
“Ever since I was young I’ve wanted to play for Senegal,” says Dieng, born in Switzerland to a Senegalese father and Swiss mother. “I watched Senegal going through to the quarters at the World Cup in 2002 and I knew I wanted to be at that level. The first thing is to come out of the group at the World Cup and then I think there is no limit to where we can get.”
Being QPR’s No 1 caught the eye of Senegal, who called him up last year and on Friday confirmed he – and the injured Sadio Mané – would be going to Qatar. After one cap, Dieng was part of the squad for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, as understudy to Chelsea’s Édouard Mendy, who had recently been named as the world’s leading goalkeeper in Fifa’s Best awards.
Mendy caught Covid, resulting in Dieng starting, alongside Kalidou Koulibaly and Mané, and keeping clean sheets in the opening two group games against Zimbabwe and Guinea. Dieng enjoyed the triumph in Cameroon. After beating Egypt on penalties, the goalkeeper took the trophy to bed. “To be the first team to bring home Afcon for Senegal is great. We wrote history. It gives us a great boost.”
His route to Qatar has been a circuitous one. He spent time in Switzerland with Red Star and Grasshoppers before a short spell in Germany. Once his contract with Duisburg came to an end, he knew where he wanted to try his luck, and went on trials in England thanks to the former Bolton goalkeeper coach Fred Barber.
There was time spent with Rochdale and Barnsley in the summer of 2016. They offered Dieng contracts but he felt he could do better and eventually QPR came calling to sign up the then 21-year-old. Although QPR could see the potential in Dieng, he had limited first-team experience, and none in England, so they sent him on loan to learn his trade.
He got to learn about the realities of non-league football. First he joined Whitehawk in the National League South and later Hampton & Richmond. “I always wanted to play in England,” he says. “It was an eye-opening experience in non-league with the conditions down there. I did not like to do it but you have to go through that phase at these clubs and play with this level of teams. It was definitely an experience.”
It took more than four years – and five loans – after joining QPR for him to make his league debut for the club in September 2020.
Since then, he has become their undisputed first-choice goalkeeper. He is a laid-back character, unflustered by pressure. His 6ft 4in frame makes him a fine shot stopper and good under the high ball, not to mention dangerous in the opponent’s box.
He earned a dramatic point late on in one game early this season when he pounced at Sunderland in injury time but still had to make a crucial double save to make sure his deeds at the other end were not wasted.
His other goal was for Whitehawk at Chippenham in 2017. “I played out of net until I was 14; I still have a little bit of the instincts,” jokes Dieng, who has 18 months on his contract.
HOW ABOUT THAT!! 🤯⚡
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 13, 2022
QPR keeper Seny Dieng scored in the 92nd minute to rescue a comeback against Sunderland! 🧤 pic.twitter.com/XZJt7pFLoZ
He admits he did not think he would become QPR’s No 1. “To be honest, no,” he says. “I never doubted that I could get to where I am but after my Doncaster loan I didn’t expect to be playing for QPR. I thought I would be leaving the club but it turned out differently and I am very glad about that.”
He is happy too that Beale stayed loyal to QPR. “He is a very good manager, he’s had a great impact, put us in the right direction and the position where we are now,” Dieng says.
“The important thing is we carry on with the way that they have brought in and it can be a very good season. There is much more to do. I’ve made no secret that I want to play in the Premier League. Maybe it is with QPR – we will find out.”
