LONDON: Fousseni Diabate scored twice on his Leicester City debut as the Foxes cruised to a 5-1 win at Peterborough United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Any hopes third-tier Peterborough might create an upset lasted all of nine minutes, with Diabate’s opening goal followed by two more from Kelechi Iheanacho that gave the Foxes a 3-0 lead at half-time.
Peterborough’s Andrew Hughes pulled one back in the 58th minute but it was no more than a consolation.
Diabate, who arrived at the King Power Stadium from French Ligue 2 club Gazelec Ajaccio earlier this month, scored his second and Leicester’s fourth in the 87th minute before Wilfred Ndidi made it 5-1 in stoppage-time. But for the debutante’s star showing, Nigeria international Iheanacho would have taken the headlines.
Iheanacho and Diabate combined to break the deadlock, the former’s pass allowing the 22-year-old to run into the box before finishing with his left foot.
Former Manchester City striker Iheanacho curled in Leicester’s second and made it 3-0 when he volleyed home a Christian Fuchs cross.
Hughes scored from a corner as Leicester conceded their first goal of 2018 but that was merely a blip, Diabate making it 4-1 before Ndidi scored with the last kick of the match.
Peterborough may have bowed out, but several lower league clubs remain involved in the tournament. They include fourth-tier Newport County, who will hope the ‘Magic of the FA Cup’ comes to Rodney Parade when they welcome eight-times winners Tottenham Hotspur to south Wales later on Saturday.
