Manager begs fans ‘don’t throw stones’ as Rangers hero plays reeling from first defeat

But one Rangers player went further as Mohamed Diomande traveled to West Africa to represent Ivory Coast in a double-header AFCON qualifier against Sierra Leone.

And while the 22-year-old missed the first part of the match, the Ibrox hero will have been disappointed to have been part of the team that succumbed to a shock defeat in Monrovia.

Mohamed Diomandé plays in Ivory Coast defeat

Mohamed Diomande could only watch as Ivory Coast won 4-1 against Sierra Leone this weekend.

The AFCON champions have been a formidable force under the leadership of former Ivory Coast international Emerson Fae, with Diomandé facing stiff competition in the middle of the Elephants’ midfield.

But after the comfortable win over Sierra Leone, Fae opted to make six changes from the team that beat West African neighbors Ivory Coast for the second leg.

Eric Bailly and Guela Doué came into defense, Dorgeles Maho in midfield and Jean Evrard Kouassi, Oumar Diakité and Beni Traoré in attack.

Rangers star Diomandé once again had to settle for a place on the bench.

With the match locked at 0-0, Mohamed Diomandé was introduced at half-time and had a full 45 minutes to make his mark on the nation.

But the Rangers star could not resist as Amadou Bakayoko scored five minutes from normal time to record a famous victory for Sierra Leone.

Ivorian coach protects Rangers star

It is also Emerse Fae’s first defeat at the head of Ivory Coast.

The former Ivory Coast international of French origin took charge of Côte d’Ivoire in the middle of CAN 2023 in January and guided the Elephants to the trophy.

It was Fae who gave Mohamed Diomandé his first call-up to the Ivory Coast team in June and it was under the age of 40 that the Rangers star won his four caps.

Until the defeat to Sierra Leone, Emerse Fae were unbeaten in 11 matches, with the Ivory Coast coach emphasizing that changes in the team having a disruptive influence were happening at full time.

But the Ivorian coach insists the result is a learning experience for his players and urged supporters not to “throw stones” in the direction of Diomandé and co.

The coach also highlighted the synthetic pitch at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia, where the match took place.

“We learn from every game, whether it is a win or a loss,” Fae said, as quoted by Info Line.

“You always learn, after the changes I made, they were changes with players who deserved it. They had a great training camp. We played in somewhat unusual conditions.

“We tried to rest certain players who have played a lot since the start of the season and to whom we were not going to do any favors by making them play on an artificial pitch.

“This allowed some people to have their chance. Now it didn’t work. We must not cast stones at the six new arrivals today.

“We all lost, which shows that when we win, we all win together.”