Amed Sportif supporter Mehmet Yücel has kept a promise of his own after Mbaye Diagne helped deliver the club's long-awaited promotion to the Süper Lig.
Yücel, a father of five in Diyarbakır, named his newborn son Adem Mbaye Diagne Yücel after the Senegalese striker fulfilled his promise to help Amed Sportif reach the Süper Lig and finish as the league's top scorer last season.
The 30-year-old construction worker lives in the Büyükkadı neighborhood of Sur district with his family. He already had four daughters when his fifth child, a boy, was born.
Yücel had publicly pledged to name a son after Diagne if the striker delivered on his ambitions with Amed Sportif. When the club secured promotion and Diagne finished the season as the league's top scorer, Yücel decided to honor his side of the bargain.
He said the unusual name surprised relatives, friends and even the official registering the birth.
"Diagne kept his promise, and I kept mine," Yücel said. "I told the people around me that if I had a son, I would name him Mbaye Diagne. When people first heard about it, they kept calling me and asking if it was really my child. Nobody believed me."
Even the civil registry official reportedly asked Yücel several times whether he was certain about the name.
"I said yes, I am sure," Yücel said.
For Yücel, the decision was not about seeking recognition, money or a gift from the player. He said it was simply a way of honoring a promise made during Amed Sportif's push for promotion.
"I had no expectations when I gave him this name. I don't want a gift or any financial support from anyone," he said. "He kept his promise, and I had made a promise to myself, so I kept mine."
The family's connection with Amed Sportif also extends beyond the baby's name. Yücel said he and his family regularly support their hometown club and that those around him have largely responded positively to his decision.
His son, however, is only about 20 days old, meaning the family is still waiting for the moment that would complete the story.
Yücel has just one request for Diagne: a photograph with the newborn.
"My only wish is for Diagne to come and take a keepsake photo with my son. That would make me very happy. I have no other expectations," he said.
There has already been an attempt at that meeting. Diagne reportedly visited the hospital where the baby was staying, but Yücel and his family were not there at the time, so the striker left without seeing them.
