Something always happens when Wilfried Singo faces PSG. On March 1, during a very pale ASM-PSG (0-0), the Ivorian international displayed all his genius by pulling off the sombrero shot on Bradley Barcola. Nine months later, the Monegasque defender has made headlines again. But reluctantly this time. While we had barely finished the first quarter of an hour of play, the right side collided with the Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma. The images go around the football world in a few hours.
However, until this Wednesday, December 18, Wilfried Singo’s career has not been controversial. On the contrary, the young man, born on Christmas Day in the year 2000, and who will therefore celebrate his 24th birthday in a few days, has always given a good image of himself.
On the field, this big guy, measuring 1.90 m and 79 kg, demonstrated during his career rare technical qualities for such a size. For the native of Ouragahio, west of Abidjan (Ivory Coast), football became really serious when he joined the Maman Clotilde FC Academy, created by Didier Drogba’s mother. A first springboard before joining AS Denguélé, a club which is known for being educational.
African Champion in 2023
At the same time, Wilfried Singo takes Maxime Nana as his agent. The latter has established links with Urbano Cairo, the president of Torino. This is how, at the age of 18, the young and promising defender arrived in Italy. He, who had never played a professional match in his country, alternates with the Primavera (the U 19s) and the first team. He played his first professional match on August 1, 2019 in the Europa League, against the Hungarians of Debrecen (4-1).
A year later, on July 29, 2020, he made his first start against AS Roma. If his team loses 2-3, he scores a fantastic goal at the end of the match after a 50m rush which he finishes with a right strike. He stayed four years in Torino and built a good reputation there, becoming one of the pillars of the team.
VideoMonaco-PSG: the lacerated face of Donnarumma after a spike
Singo’s qualities allowed him to be selected first in the Ivory Coast under-20 team. In 2021, he joined the Elephants’ Olympic selection. He reached the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics, beaten by Spain (2-5, after extra time). In the group stage, his team notably took out Germany.
A few days before the Olympic tournament, he took his first steps with the A. In 28 caps, he won the title of African champion of nations in February 2023. Enough to attract the attention of AS Monaco, who recruited him the following summer for 10 million euros. An investment quickly amortized since the Ivorian has been impeccable since the start of the season.
Insulted on social media
His action on Wednesday, violent but unfortunate – and which should not have too many consequences on the health of Gianluigi Donnarumma – still earned him numerous insults, sometimes of a racist nature, on social networks. His club gave him its support: “AS Monaco condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist remarks of which Wilfried Singo was the target on social networks after last night’s match against Paris Saint-Germain. These behaviors have no place in sport, either on or off the field, and are in total contradiction with the values that the club defends. »
Donnarumma, for his part, does not seem to blame him too much: PSG has also published the moment where the two men exchange and in which we hear the Parisian say: “Everything is fine, relax”. Enough to close this file and allow Singo to refocus on the game: that’s good, he’s quite good at it.
