Young but already successful and in clear progress for a few weeks, midfielder Amadou Onana is making his mark in the midfield of Losc, which moves to Brest on Saturday (5:00 p.m.) for the 22nd day of Ligue 1.
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Little used during the first part of the season, the Belgian has just had three satisfactory starts.
Double scorer in the Coupe de France in Lens (2-2, 3-4 pens), he rose to the occasion in Marseille (1-1) and against Lorient (3-1).
Bought in Hamburg, a German D2 club where he had played 25 matches for his professional debut, he was able to get to the level of the French championship.
While 5 of his 6 Champions League appearances have come in a substitute role launched in the last half hour, his performances on the European stage have been consistent and full of impact.
“A
lot of potential
”
Very tall for his position (1.95m), Onana has above-average athletic qualities, which allow him to win shoulder duels without straining.
He is above all a good footballer, who constantly tries to break lines with the pass and projects himself as soon as a space opens up in front of him.
"
He is in his trajectory and in the projection that we imagined, there is competition in his position with slightly more experienced players but he has a lot of potential and quality
," said Jocelyn Gourvennec at a press conference. Tuesday.
Jocelyn Gourvennec very complimentary with his young midfielder.
PASCAL ROSSIGNOL / REUTERS
"
He has a lot of enthusiasm, desire, personality, you have to channel all that but he has been helping the team well since the start of the season and continues to do so
," added the northern coach.
International Espoirs, closely followed by coach Roberto Martinez to join the A team, Onana wants to win now.
If he is only 20 years old, he wants to shake up the Renato Sanches-Benjamin André duo, the backbone of Losc.
Ambitious and perfectionist
"
I can be satisfied with this first part of the championship, but I am an ambitious person and the objective of this second part of the season will be to do everything to play a little more
", he said to the press before to score twice at Lens.
“
They ask me more, they ask me to take my responsibilities and we have seen for a few weeks that I am undertaking more things.
It works for me and I hope to continue on this path,
” added the man who said he was “
very close
” to Sanches, with whom he was associated on Wednesday against Lorient.
Despite the victory, Amadou Onana came out frustrated from the meeting, sharing the feelings of President Olivier Létang and Captain José Fonte.
"
We fell into a kind of laxity in the second half, that's exactly the thing not to do,
" he regretted.
Far from the recklessness of some of the players his age, the midfielder seems programmed for success.
Polyglot (he speaks French, English, German, Dutch and Wolof), affable but able to handle the language well, relaxed but hardworking, he became number 3 in the hierarchy of central midfielders.
Not yet enough to replace Boubakary Soumaré, an important element of the title who has since left Leicester, but enough to disturb opponents who are still getting to know him.
And to imagine that Lille, which always needs to bail out its cash, will eventually make a hell of a gain if it becomes too big for the club.