Brighton: Malick Yalcoulyé, victim of his own success
Scorer of his first goal in the Premier League on Sunday during Brighton's 3-4 defeat against Chelsea, Malick Yalcouyé is at the center of a smear campaign questioning his age (20 years) because of his hair loss, which is actually due to an illness.
Aimé ATTI · Author profile ·
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ASEC comes to the aid of its "Mimo" Yalcouyé
Since his stunning half-volley against the Blues, Malick Yalcouyé has been at the center of discussions on social media. Unfortunately, not for his talent and the great match he played in his second Premier League appearance, but for an alleged age fraud by the Ivorian youth international. However, this is not the case. The former Swansea player is actually suffering from chronic alopecia, a condition that leads to hair loss at a young age.
Moreover, these conspiracy theories tinged with racism and/or bad faith have been debunked by his training club, ASEC Mimosas, which was forced to publish exclusive images on Sunday night of Malick Yalcouyé's time at the famous Abidjan youth academy, the Académie MimoSifcom, from 2018 to 2023. In the images, you can indeed see him alongside Bazoumana Touré (Newcastle), Oumar Diakité (Reims), and Karim Konaté (RB Salzburg), other products of ASEC's development program, who attended the Academy during the same period as him.
See also: Bazoumana Touré, a meteoric rise in two years of professional career
Mature enough not to crumble in the face of this bashing, Malick Yalcouyé can also count on the support of his training club, his country, and Brighton, who has believed in his talent since 2024.
https://twitter.com/ASECMimosas/status/2094181593728381336
Promising debut in the Premier League
After joining the Seagulls two years ago, Malick Yalcouyé had to wait to make his way to the first team. First integrated into the U21 squad, he subsequently went on loan to Sturm Graz in Austria, then to Swansea in the Championship to gain experience before aiming to shine in the Premier League. And after two years of learning, the 20-year-old midfielder is finally ready for the highest level.
A substitute during the first matchday against Aston Villa (4-0 win), Malick Yalcouyé was given his very first league start by Fabian Hürzeler on Sunday, against Chelsea, and proved his manager right by scoring a brilliant goal in the 35th minute to narrow the gap.
https://twitter.com/BHAFC/status/2094168531327947262
Although the Seagulls unfortunately lost, Malick Yalcouyé delivered a great performance. In 74 minutes of play, the Ivorian midfielder created a big chance, a key pass, completed two crosses, all with impressive technical quality. This is reflected in his 83% pass accuracy (23/30), 74% for passes in the opposition half (14/19), and 100% in his own half (11/11), according to SofaScore.
After showing promise in the Conference League playoffs, it is now time for confirmation for Malick Yalcouyé, who is on track to secure a place in Brighton's first team.