The best ball-winner in Europe’s five major leagues as of 10 October, Lamine Camara plays for AS Monaco. With the Senegal national team, the midfielder has produced some mixed performances, before staying on the bench against the Comoros.
On one side, an AS Monaco midfielder who wins the ball and tackles a lot in Ligue 1; on the other, a Senegal international less prominent with the Lions. Lamine Camara embodies that contrast, according to Le Quotidien, drawing on Opta data relayed by Le Soleil.
As of 10 October, the Senegalese was the player who had recovered the most balls in Europe’s five major leagues, with 46 balls recovered, and second in Ligue 1 for successful tackles, with 17.
On the eve of matchday 8, tackles lead the way in Ligue 1
The statistics published by Le Quotidien on the eve of Ligue 1’s matchday 8 confirm the trend: 4.3 tackles per match for Lamine Camara, the best average in the league alongside Toulouse midfielder Christian Casseres, and 90% pass accuracy.
AS Monaco coach Filipe Luís cannot say enough good things about his midfielder. “He is the main leader of the team. He doesn’t talk much, but everyone sees what he does,” he said, again according to Le Quotidien. After the 3-0 win against Freiburg in the Conference League, in which the player scored, touched 90 balls and was named man of the match, Filipe Luís exclaimed: “He keeps surprising me. I never see him tired.”
Born in Diouloulou and trained at Génération Foot, the academy that produced Sadio Mané and Ismaïla Sarr, Lamine Camara quickly piled up the honours: CHAN 2022, where he was named best young player, the 2023 U20 AFCON, where he was named best player, and the CAF award for best young African player the same year. He arrived at Metz in April 2023, where he made 33 Ligue 1 appearances and scored a spectacular goal from almost 60 metres against Monaco, before the Principality club bought him a year later for €15 million.
With the national team, the tempo is still being sought
With the Lions, the story is more mixed. The midfielder was criticised for the penalty conceded late in the match against Belgium at the World Cup, then produced mixed performances against Mozambique and Ethiopia, before staying on the bench against the Comoros.
With AS Monaco, his role is entirely different: as of 10 October, his ball-recovery and tackle statistics were among the highest in Europe and Ligue 1.
The next fixture is set for 2 November 2026, with the visit of Paris FC in Ligue 1, according to the league calendar. For the winter, the English press links Liverpool with an interest in the player.