Sékou Mara. This name probably doesn't ring a bell. The 18-year-old striker, who has just signed his first professional contract with Bordeaux, is none other than the son of Audrey Crespo-Mara, presenter of the weekend's news on TF1.
The current companion of producer-host Thierry Ardisson closely followed the evolution of the son, born of a previous union. She regularly attended the matches of her eldest when the latter was dismissed from AC Boulogne-Billancourt.
Six years ago, Sékou was undoubtedly far from imagining this trajectory in spite of the hopes which he nourished. The fan of Ronaldo, Drogba or even Henry had just left PSG, tired of not being used at his post and playing with the reserve team at the U 13. Word of mouth then guided him to l 'ACBB in 2014. “The comings and goings between his home in Montmartre and Saint-Germain-en-Laye weighed on him. As for many former PSG, our club was a point of fall, explains Bertrand Rebours, technical manager of the ACBB at the time. From his first try, we saw a very good player. And within three months, he went from being a reservist at PSG to being the talent everyone wanted. Six or seven Ligue 1 clubs were on him. "
For the anecdote, Sékou had even caught the eye of a PSG recruiter without him knowing that he was playing at the club before.
It was the Girondins who enlisted him in 2015, when the Parisian joined the INF Clairefontaine. The signing of the contract was immortalized by pictures where we see him alongside his parents, Audrey and Aliou, and his younger brother Lamine, in the presence of Yannick Stopyra, the former international striker who became responsible for the recruitment of the Bordeaux club.
The latter says: “his father was always immersed in football, he suggested to Arnaud Vaillant (observer for Bordeaux) and myself to come and attend a detection in Paris. There was a young kid playing on the edge of the field. Arnaud gave him a jersey so that he could participate in the detection, it was Sékou. I remember that there was a fierce fight with Lyon to recruit him. "
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In 2017, the Franco-Guinean finally landed at the age of 15 at the Girondins training center. In 63 games (U 17, U 19, N 3 with the reserve for seniors) since his arrival, he has scored 50 goals. Outclassed in all youth categories, a promising element of the 2002 generation, Sekou has six selections for the blue jersey (U16, U17).
"In the aerial game, it is a phenomenon"
On July 30, the day of his eighteenth birthday, the 1.84m center-forward signed his first three-year professional contract, with a salary of 2,800 euros gross per month. After taking his first steps with the pro group in a friendly match against Angers on the 25th of the same month. “I'm happy, it's going well. The big change is the intensity. I am a space player. I like to ask for the ball in depth. I hope to have opportunities to play in Ligue 1, ”says the person concerned.
“Sékou has very interesting potential, he has a lot of technical and mental qualities, but I don't think he's ready for League 1 right away,” considers one of his trainers on condition of anonymity. He needs to progress in repeating high intensity efforts and defensive replacement but that makes sense. A young person like him, if you do not sign him pro at home, you run the risk of getting bitten. "
Especially since Yannick Stopyra is full of praise for the man he recruited: “I like it a lot. I have been a leading player and I have rarely seen such a strong player in the aerial game, it is a phenomenon. If he has no physical problems, he will make a living with football. At what level, Ligue 1, Champions League? I do not know. In any case, even the pros are starting to be surprised by its potential… It's a good sign! "
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