“You can see how important Said is for us” – Köln teammates celebrate El Mala’s return to the scoresheet

Said El Mala’s 1. FC Köln teammates were thrilled to see the youngster back on the scoresheet against TSG Hoffenheim after a dip in form.

After a run of six games without a goal contribution, Said El Mala was decisive once again for 1. FC Köln on Saturday, providing the assist for Ragnar Ache’s opener before scoring his side’s second goal in their 2-2 draw with TSG Hoffenheim.

The 19-year-old left no doubt about how much the goal meant to him, first putting his index finger to his lips and then placing both hands on his head while pushing his ears forward.

“He was overjoyed that things finally worked out for him again,” Köln teammate Joel Schmied told Kicker after the game. 

“There’s a lot of pressure on this young lad. The whole team is happy that he was able to score another goal.”

Ache, who scored the opener, also backed his young teammate.

“People can say what they want: Said showed it again. Hopefully he’ll do it even more often,” he said.

Midfielder Tom Krauß added:

“You can see how important Said is for us. Everyone can see that. I’m happy for him because he really wanted to be involved in a goal again. Hopefully he can help us a bit more this season.”