Such a painful loss was rendered even more difficult for Diomande as he was living away from his loved ones, playing for Spanish side Leganes.
Having subsequently moved to Germany and drawn widespread acclaim for his performances and output, Diomande is now determined to make a success of the World Cup – not for himself, but for his sister, family and everybody else back home.
“We’re here to represent millions of people and play for our loved ones and our families,” he says. “It makes us want to go out there and make an impact.”
Ivory Coast have played in the World Cup three times before – in 2006, 2010, and 2014 – but never made it beyond the group stage despite fielding teams including global icons like Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba.
But their opening win over Ecuador has put them in a strong position to progress, and Diomande believes there is a key difference between the current squad and those which went before.
“I think we have more desire,” he says. “There isn’t a lot of expectation on us, so we have nothing to lose and we’ll give it everything. That’s what our mentality needs to be.”
If Ivory Coast are to go far in the competition, Diomande will need to play a key role in their success. Despite his tender age, his team-mates are confident in his ability to make a difference.
“The ‘golden boy’, as we call him,” says Amad Diallo, the Manchester United winger who came off the bench to score the winner against Ecuador.
“Penetration, dribbling – his speciality, he’s someone who is very strong one on one.”
