Demba Ba's big match preparation

6am

“As I am Muslim I try to pray five times a day. The first prayer of the day is salat al-fajr – at dawn, before sunrise. Praying is a big part of my life.”
 

10am

“I always go to bed after 11.30pm, but I don’t sleep a lot. If we’re playing a game at 3pm on a Saturday I get out of bed around 10-11am.”
 

10.30am

“Once I’m up I like to eat. Eggs are good and there’s a Senegalese dish called thiakry. It’s a mix of yoghurt and couscous, with sugar or cinnamon added to it.”
 

11am

“If we’re playing at home I like to spend time with my family and relax. It’s nice having them around because they take my mind off football.”
 

11.30am

“I like to do a bit of skipping in the morning. It’s great for my cardio and helps bring my heart rate up quickly so I’m prepared for the game.”
 

1pm

“I leave for the ground two hours before the game. Once I get to the stadium I start getting focused on the match. When I arrive I put my headphones in and listen to the Quran – I find this relaxes me a lot.”
 

1.30pm

“Once I’m in the dressing room I talk to my team-mates, get my kit on and skip for 10-15 minutes until we go out on the pitch to warm-up, which is usually 40 minutes before kick-off.”
 

3pm

“I don’t have any superstitions ahead of the game – for me superstitions are a mental weakness. I just like to be relaxed and focused. Football is like golf. You have to concentrate, but you also must be relaxed – otherwise you won’t play very well.”

Demba Ba wears the new Adidas adizero f50 – the fastest boot in football. For further info visit adidas.com/football or you join the Twitter conversation@adidasfootball

Also see:
Sebastien Bassong: Rise to the big occasion
Rooney: Big match preparation
Theo Walcott: Big match preparation
Pele: Big match preparation
Meditate like Messi
Clint Dempsey: mental preparation
Carlton Cole's mind gym
Carl Jenkinson: Get in the zone
Gus Poyet: Mental preparation