Promoted to the first team last summer, Ivorian striker Mamadou Koné (19) has carved out a place in the Lorient squad. Africa Foot general manager Thierno Barry and head coach Olivier Dall’Oglio give their portrait of him.
Mamadou Koné’s story does not begin in Brittany. Trained in Abidjan and then at Africa Foot in Bamako, Mali, the striker went on to join Lorient, where he now wears the club’s colours in Ligue 1. At 19 — he turns 20 in November — the Ivory Coast U23 international is part of the professional squad.
His path is an unusual one. At 16, he spent two weeks at La Masia, as part of a partnership with the Malian academy and, according to Ouest-France via 懂球帝, he would have liked to join Barcelona. In the end it was in Tunisia, in late 2024, that scouts, including Lorient’s, spotted him. A two-week trial in April 2025 came before he signed.
A hat-trick to get noticed
It was with the reserves that Mamadou Koné knocked on the first team’s door. On 1 November 2025, he scored a hat-trick against Les Herbiers (4-2). He was promoted to the first team last summer after that hat-trick and six other goals for the B team.
This season he has 1 goal in 8 Ligue 1 matches. With the first team he has also played two Coupe de France matches, scoring one goal. He stands 1.86 m tall and has signed a three-year professional contract with the club.
Thierno Barry told Ouest-France via 懂球帝: “At 13-14, I could already see he would become a star. He was hard-working, very serious, and stood out in the crowd.”
Dall’Oglio backs his room to grow
In the Lorient dressing room, the striker does not go unnoticed. “We have a responsibility to help him progress. He is popular in the dressing room, his team-mates often tease him. That is a positive sign,” the coach told Ouest-France via 懂球帝.
The coach sees further ahead. “He still has a lot of room to grow and I believe he could one day play in the Champions League,” he added. A projection, not a promise: above all it reflects the hope placed in a player still learning his trade.
The man himself continues to discover the top level, between Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France. He still has to prove himself over time.
The next fixtures in Ligue 1
The fixture list gives the young Ivorian a chance to continue his progress: Lorient are next in action in the upcoming Ligue 1 matches. Every appearance counts for a player who broke into the first team last summer.