Sambou Soumano shifts from supersub to starter as Lorient urge a fuller game | OneFootball

Lorient’s 24-year-old Senegalese striker Sambou Soumano has moved from impact substitute to starting No 9, with coaches urging him to broaden his game while keeping his penalty-box edge.

According to L'Équipe, he scored 10 goals and added two assists off the bench in 2024-2025, the highest by a substitute in any Ligue 2 season this century, unmatched across the five major European leagues and their second tiers.

This season he sealed a 3-3 draw with an 89th-minute finish against Brest on matchday 8, again showing he needs little time to make an impact. Over the last three matches he has started up front rather than arriving late.

He led the line at Nantes in a 1-1 draw on matchday 13. He then hit a brace in the 3-1 win over Nice and started the 1-0 victory against Lyon on matchdays 14 and 15.

Former Lorient staff member Jean-Marie David says Soumano is most comfortable in the final 30 metres, clinical from little, strong with his back to goal and combative in duels. He adds the forward still needs a fuller toolkit, including combination play, his left foot, timing of runs and attacking depth.

Head coach Olivier Pantaloni has highlighted similar strengths, noting he offers less depth when the team sit in a medium or low block. Soumano has 4 goals and 2 assists in Ligue 1 this season.

Alain Wathelet, who worked with him at QRM, recalls he initially waited for the ball, then learned to run and defend more, and though he does not relish attacking space, he is not slow. David says outright pace is not his standout quality, yet his smart movement and use of his body aided the build-up to Pablo Pagis’s goal against Lyon, and consistent 60-70 minute outputs with a goal could cement him as a starter.

Source: L'Équipe