Ibrahim Diabate and GAIS continue push for UEFA qualification

Ibrahim Diabate provided a goal and an assist on Monday to help Swedish club GAIS take a big step towards qualification for UEFA club competition with a 2-0 victory at Brommapojkarna.

The Ivorian continued his career-best season for a club that has not seen success like this in Sweden’s top flight Allsvenskan since a third place finish in the 1989 season.

A stroke of good fortune allowed the hosts to take the lead in the 33rd minute, when Diabate passed out wide to the left wing where Rasmus Niklasson’s long range effort snuck under Brommapojkarna goalkeeper John-Oliver Lacayo.

GAIS confirmed a two-goal lead at halftime in the 40th minute and it was former ASEC Mimosas youth product Diabate who applied the final touch to a cross from Kevin Holmen. The 25-year-old, who had never scored more than 4 goals in a season since moving to Europe in 2018, now has a remarkable record of 16 goals along with 5 assists to leave him third on the Allsvenskan scoring chart with two matches left to play.

Diabate’s heroics have left supporters of the Gothenburg club dreaming of watching their team in European competition next season. GAIS sit in third place and are on the verge of qualifying for the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League if they can hold off local rivals IFK Göteborg, who sit four points back with only two rounds left in the season.

Diabate, only one goal behind co-leading scorers Nahir Besara (Hammarby) and August Priske (Djurgarden), will look to continue his push to the top of goal scoring list when GAIS host relegation candidates Östers IF on Sunday.