To escape Russian bombing, El Hadji Pape Diaw fled Ukraine. The Rukh Lviv player recounts his hours of anguish.
El Hadji Pope © africanews24.digital
Russia attacked Ukraine on Thursday 24 February. The Ukrainian championship (Premier-Liha) is suspended. Foreign players try to escape the conflict by leaving the country. El Hadji Pape Diaw, has already achieved this. The Senegalese defender of Rukh Lviv escaped by car in Poland. He arrived this Friday 25 in a hotel in Krakow (South). After several hours of anguish. “I was woken up by a siren” he told RMC Sports.
“It was the general rescue”
El Hadji Pape Diaw returned to Poland at 3 am “We crossed the border around midnight,” he says. He had to take his pain patiently. The main thing was to leave the country. There were a lot of controls. I was very afraid that we could not pass. There were too many cars. Ukrainians, foreigners, it was the general rescue. Everyone wanted to cross the border, get around the queue… We had to get away as quickly as possible.”
The Senegalese defender played in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 between 2019 and 2021. Indeed, he wore the jersey of Caen and that of Angers.
