[Le Match] Lamine Camara vs Habib Diarra : Qui est le meilleur milieu de terrain ?
In this new installment of Seneweb's "Matches," the editorial team pits the two rising stars of the Senegalese national team against each other. On one side is Habib Diarra, former Strasbourg captain transferred to Sunderland, who scored four goals in his last three matches with the Lions, and on the other, Lamine Camara, named the African continent's best young player twice in a row (2023 and 2024) and already a metronome of the Senegalese game. Born two days apart (January 1, 2004 for Camara and January 3, 2004 for Diarra), they embody the hopes of a golden generation. But if we had to choose just one midfielder, who would win? The "Match" is on!
Given the complexity of their positions, five fundamental criteria will be examined to separate the two players: passing quality, defense, offensive projection, leadership, and game control. Each category has its winner. The winner of the "Match" wins the most rounds.
Pass quality
Essential in the midfield position, passing skills separate the good from the very good. In this area, Habib Diarra performs very well. With his high volume of play, the new "Black Cat" is very precise with his short passes. With Strasbourg last season, he averaged 26.6 successful passes per match. A ratio of 87%. He also averages almost one key pass per match (0.9 to be exact). In the long game, however, Diarra still has room for improvement.
Conversely, Lamine Camara is one of Senegal's benchmarks in this area. The AS Monaco player excels in both short and long passes. With both the national team and the club from the Rock, Camara is the master of set pieces. A perception that the stats confirm. This season, in Ligue 1, he has averaged 40.8 accurate passes per match, with a ratio equivalent to his opponent of the day (87%). It is especially in long passes that the difference is made. Camara has 2.5 successful long passes on average per match, while Diarra only has 0.9 per match. In lobbed passes, Camara has 1.8 per match, compared to 0.5 for Diarra. Statistically, Camara surpasses Diarra in passing quality. So, the advantage goes to Lamine Camara: 1-0.
Defense
Pressing, marking, interception and recovery capabilities, strength in duels... these are some essential skills for players in pivot positions who must protect the defensive line. With his high volume of play, Habib Diarra excels at pressing. He is capable of pressing high, harassing his opponent on all fronts of the pitch. But in other defensive aspects, Lamine Camara surpasses him. In ball recovery, duels won, and successful tackles, the Monegasque is far ahead of his compatriot. In 29 Ligue 1 matches, one less than the former Strasbourg player, Camara has made 66 tackles, compared to 22 for Diarra, 31 interceptions compared to 13, and 23 aerial duels won compared to 12 for the new Sunderland player. Better defensive skills mean that Lamine Camara is often used in a lower position than Diarra, for both club and country. In this "Match," Camara takes the lead: 2-0.
Projection
Projecting and supporting attacks has become one of the primary roles of midfielders. It's no longer a matter of overstepping their role, but rather an evolution of the position that incorporates it. With this run, Habib Diarra reduced the score to 2-1. Indeed, the new Sunderland player has more offensive range than Lamine Camara, with his great finishing ability, his composure, and his skill in the last 30 meters. Diarra's movements between the lines also reflect his great game intelligence, essential for playing well in tight spaces. Used well in a formation that suits him, Diarra can be a formidable midfielder - scorer. Pape Thiaw knew this to his advantage. With the Senegal national team, Diarra is on a run of 4 goals in the last 3 matches. He has also scored 4 goals for Strasbourg.
On the other hand, Lamine Camara is doing well in the final third. He has scored two goals for Monaco in Ligue 1 and provided seven assists. Two more than Diarra, but Camara has benefited from a better conversion rate thanks to ASM's larger squad. Camara also takes a lot of chances and creates opportunities, but remains behind Diarra in this respect, who benefits from greater versatility and volume.
Leadership
Former rugby player Raphaël Ibanez said: "The difference between a good player and a great player is personality." This quote also applies to football. While good players are content to do their job well, great players carry the entire team along with them thanks to their personality and leadership.
Explosive on the pitch and reserved off it, Lamine Camara embodies discipline. The young midfielder can also be a technical leader. As proof, he quickly established himself at Metz, Monaco, and Senegal, becoming the preferred set-piece taker and the playmaker despite his young age.
However, in this area (leadership), Habib Diarra is ahead of his teammate in the national team. Indeed, the player born in Guédiawaye is a leader, a unifier, a leader at heart. In almost all the youth categories he has played in, Diarra has often worn the armband. His leadership qualities even prompted Liam Rosenior, Strasbourg coach, to make him the team captain last season... at only 20 years old! "I love Habib Diarra, he's a real competitor," he would later say. As a result, the captain greatly contributed to Racing's exceptional season with a qualification in the Conference League. In this "Match", Habib Diarra equalized at 2-2, before the final round.
Game control
Two decades ago, defensive midfielders were primarily responsible for winning the ball back, leaving the "number 10" with the freedom to dictate the play. Today, this position has almost disappeared and central midfielders have become the conductors.
With his quality in the long and short game, his ability to find the right gaps, and his technique with the ball at his feet, Lamine Camara has the ideal profile for a modern midfielder. Regardless of the formation, the game plan, or his position, he gives his team control and fluidity. On the other hand, Habib Diarra also has undeniable qualities of a modern midfielder. His sense of movement is crucial in possession of the ball. His simplicity: extremely rare. Diarra plays accurately and loses very few balls. He epitomizes Johan Cruyff's famous phrase: "Playing football is very simple, but playing simple football is the most difficult thing there is."
Victory for Lamine Camara
Although different, both players are effective in controlling the game. But thanks to his wide range, his ease, and his technical skill, Lamine Camara wins this final decisive round. With 3 wins against 2 for Habib Diarra, the young Monegasque also wins this Seneweb "Match."
At 21, both players still have a lot of room for improvement and could add more bows to their technical range in the coming years.
For the national team, there's no need for a match between Diarra and Camara. The Senegalese will be fortunate to have both players for years to come.
Commentaires (23)
Habib diarra est bien meilleur.
Si il faut en choisir un a l'heure H ce serait Diarra mais je suis convaincu par aucun des 2
Tout ce je sais c'est que Lamine Camara porte trop le ballon parfois.
c'est quoi votre problème?
vous êtes des aigris qui ne voulaient rien de bon pour les autres ou c'est le Sénégal que vous voulez voir nulle part sur un podium d'excellence?
c'est vraiment pathétique votre manière de gagner votre vie
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