Senegalese sensation Mamadou Lamine Camara has declared war on Orlando Pirates ahead of Friday’s Caf Confederation Cup final, saying RS Berkane will do everything to win the trophy. In his first season with the Moroccan side, the youth international said they had done their homework on their opponents and would not take them lightly.
“A final is not played; it must be won. We will put in all the efforts from our side to win this trophy. We will face a great team, a big name in African football, Orlando Pirates. The advantage for us is that this team plays good football. And also, it will be on neutral ground. The best team will win, and we are lucky to have players with this experience in our squad. This is my first international experience; it would be wonderful to complete it with a continental title,” Camara told the Caf website.
The 2020 best player of the Under 20 qualifying tournament for West Africa Football Union (WAFU A) said his first season in North Africa had been about learning to become a top-level professional.
“I could not have dreamed any better than this in my first season of learning to develop in a club like RS Berkane. In the club and this League, I consistently see the level required for professionalism. The infrastructure and the quality of human resources, everything contributes to pulling the young player that I am up. It was difficult for a footballer coming from the amateur world like me, but then I took the challenge, and I was able to play 17 matches in all competitions, including five in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2022,” the 19-year-old said.
He hailed Congolese coach Florent Ibenge for helping him progress in the game. The two joined the 2020 Caf Confederation Cup champions at the same time. “I was lucky to work under a very high-level coach (Florent Ibenge), who arrived at the club almost simultaneously with me. He is a great coach who helps the player work and progress technically and tactically.”
The combative defensive midfielder added that Berkane would lean on the experience of Burkinabe Issoufou Dayo, who was a semi-finalist in the 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations played in Cameroon.
