Diouf sets new Ligue 1 saves record in Reims victory

Stade de Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf made history when his side defeated RC Lens in a Week 29 French Ligue 1 match on Friday. The Senegalese goalie made 14 saves, becoming the new record holder for the most saves in a single game in Ligue 1.

Reims battled their way to a 2-0 victory over Lens in the encounter. In an astounding display, the home side had 37 attempts while Samba Diawara’s charges had only 10 attempts with just 2 on target. Lens dominated the game but were stunned at home by the bravery of Diouf. Keito Nakamura scored a brace to hand Reims a rare victory in Northern France.

Diouf made decisive saves in the second half against Wesley Saïd, Anass Zaroury, and Adrien Thomasson. The 25-year-old custodian was beaten twice but luck was on his side as his teammate Malcolm Jeng and the crossbar rescued him for a memorable night.

Diouf’s 14 saves in a single game now stand as the new record in French Ligue 1. No other goalkeeper has performed as well in Ligue 1 since Opta began analyzing the competition in the 2006-07 season. In total, Diouf has made 122 saves in Ligue 1 this season, the second-highest total among the top five European leagues. He has also prevented the greatest number of goals in the European top five leagues in 2024–25, according to Opta’s Expected Goals model.

French daily L’Équipe gave Diouf a rating of eight for his performance. Previously, Nantes goalie Alban Lafont, who is eligible to represent Burkina Faso, received a rating of 10 from L’Équipe—the highest for a goalkeeper in 20 years.

Diouf surpassed Benjamin Lecomte and Thomas Vincensini to claim the record for the most saves in a single Ligue 1 match. The two French goalkeepers had 12 saves each and had shared the record since 2023.

Diouf switched his allegiance to Senegal in March 2025 after representing France at the youth level. He was on the bench for Senegal in two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier games played in March.

Reims are 14th with 29 points as they push for safety under Malian coach Diawara.