Name: Mamady Sidibe
Position: Forward
Date of Birth: 18/12/1979
Nationality: Malian
Place of Birth: Bamako
Squad Number: 11
Nickname: Mama
Former Clubs: Swansea, Gillingham
Joined Stoke: 2005 (free transfer)
There are some strikers whose contribution to their side goes well beyond goalscoring. Sidibe is one of these. The huge Malian’s goalscoring record is at times laughably poor, having netted just four times in each of his last two seasons, but with his work rate, hold up play and flick-ons he is the ultimate target man, essential to the direct Stoke style of play, with his importance well appreciated by fans and teammates alike.
Though originally targeted by Tony Pulis during his first spell as Stoke manager, it was Johan Boskamp who finalised the deal to bring Sidibe to Stoke in the summer of 2005, and he has been a regular in the side since, only losing his place for any lengthy period of time because of injuries, such as the two serious knee problems he suffered during the 2008/09 season.
Most remarkable about Sidibe, a former drug dealer who claims football allowed him to turn his life away from crime when living as a teenager in the slums of Paris, is his brush with death in October 2007. Playing for Mali in Togo, he was attacked by angry home supporters after their side had been defeated, knocked unconscious on the pitch and dragged through a broken window, severing major blood vessels in his arm, resulting in life threatening blood loss.
The incident led him to re-assess his position in life, and his commitments to football and the Mali national team. Ultimately he chose to continue doing what he always had, representing Stoke and Mali with pride, showing the positive attitude and commitment that has made him such a popular character at Stoke.
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