The story of Djené Dakonam (Lomé, 1991), one of the main threats Real Oviedo will face this afternoon at the Tartiere, begins far from the Coliseum, in Togo, where football went hand in hand with school and where his parents helped him buy his first boots. The father of Bordalás’ principal soldier worked as a tailor. From that background emerged a disciplined, reserved young man who became a footballer through sheer hard work: Étoile Filante de Lomé, Tonnerre Bohicon, Coton Sport Garoua in Cameroon, where he played in the African Champions League, and a couple of failed trials in France with Lens and Bastia. Until Spain opened its doors to him.
He arrived at Alcorcón in 2015 at the last minute, on trial. But there, a certain José Bordalás was waiting to discover him. It didn’t take long for Djené to convince the coach, who years later would say that Djené was one of the best players he had ever managed. Thus began a partnership that has become one of the longest-lasting and most recognizable in Spanish football. In July 2017, Getafe signed him, reuniting him with Bordalás. They have hardly been separated since then.
Djené is now an entire chapter in Getafe’s book. He has played 320 official matches, making him the second-highest appearance maker in the club’s history, only behind Pedro Caballero. And here’s a curious fact for Oviedo fans: it was precisely against Oviedo that he reached 296 matches in La Liga with Getafe, becoming the player with the most appearances for the club in the top flight. During the match at the Coliseum against the Carbayones, Djené was honored in front of his home crowd, confirming his status as one of the most beloved players among the fans.
This season, he has accumulated 31 matches, 2,385 minutes, and 29 starts—numbers that prove he is indispensable despite having just turned 34 years old. Tomorrow at 18:30 at the Tartiere, Oviedo will face a Getafe side whose Togolese captain represents much more than a center-back: he is a symbol.
