Motor Lublin has secured the future of key striker Mbaye Ndiaye, who scored in Wednesday's 3-0 Polish Cup victory over Legia Warszawa on September 2, 2026. Coach Mariusz Misiura confirmed after the match that retaining the Senegalese player was a priority for the club, which currently sits 15th in the Ekstraklasa table with 5 points from six matches.
The cup win provided Motor Lublin with a significant boost amid a difficult league start, where the team has recorded just one win, two draws, and three losses. In the match against Legia, goals for the hosts were also scored by Karol Czubak and Fabio Ronaldo in the first half, with Ndiaye adding a third in the dying moments. The news of the player staying was reported by Transfery.info.
Why was Ndiaye's future uncertain?
Motor Lublin coach Mariusz Misiura spoke openly about the tense situation surrounding the striker just before the cup match. "To be honest, the last two days and even this morning were heated," the coach admitted to journalists. Misiura did not go into details, but his words indicated a real risk of the 27-year-old's departure. Ndiaye has been at the club since the beginning of 2024, joining Lublin from Senegalese side Teungueth. For Motor, he has made 73 appearances, scoring 16 goals and providing 5 assists.
The team has struggled with efficiency this season, as shown by a league record of six goals scored and ten conceded. Therefore, keeping a proven scorer was of great importance. The details of Ndiaye's contract are key – his deal runs until June 30, 2028, giving the club long-term stability in attack. The current team squad can be viewed on our squad page.
What role did the club's management play?
Coach Misiura clearly indicated that the success in keeping the player was due to the owner and president of Motor Lublin. "I congratulate the most important people at the club today for doing everything so that Jacques stayed with us for this round," he said, using the striker's second name. Misiura added: "well done to Jacques for being with us, he scored a goal today and will delight us with his play in the upcoming matches."
This action by the board shows determination in building a competitive team despite a tough league position. Motor Lublin is seven points behind league leaders Legia Warszawa. However, the direct cup clash showed the quality gap might not be as large as the table suggests. The current standings show the full picture of the competition.
What does this mean for Motor's future plans?
Retaining Mbaye Ndiaye allows coach Misiura to plan his attacking play with a reliable foundation. The Senegalese striker is known for his physicality and good positional sense in the box. His presence in the team is especially important ahead of further challenges, including a league match against Widzew Łódź scheduled for December 12, 2026. Widzew currently occupies 13th place in the table.
The team must improve its league form, which reads loss, draw, win, and two losses. The upcoming matches will test whether the victory over Legia and securing Ndiaye translate into better results. The schedule of upcoming fixtures is available on the fixtures page. Motor Lublin's next home league match is against Widzew Łódź in mid-December.
