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“A triple threat: he scores goals, he sets up goals and he’s a ball-carrier” — Ali Maxwell
Abu Kamara
Portsmouth on loan from Norwich — League One, 2023/24:
Born: 21 July 2003
Position: Winger / Wide forward
League appearances: 46
League starts: 37
🗓️ The age of progress
Nobody in this list typifies the upward curve of a talent well nurtured than Abu Kamara. Out on loan at a Portsmouth side fighting for and winning promotion, he started in fits and bursts, averaging just 53 minutes of game-time over his first 10 appearances. His campaign’s high-water mark was reached in ‘the business end’.
In February, Kamara provided a hat-trick of assists in a 4-1 dismantling of Reading. He scored crucial goals in draws that helped to fend off title-chasing Derby and Bolton. He provided threat, creativity and flair, leading to 8 goals and 10 assists over the course of the season – 11 of those goal contributions coming after 1 February 2024.
To demonstrate such creativity is impressive, but when that is intertwined with availability – Kamara played a part in every one of Portsmouth’s league games – you can spot a promising pattern of talent and maturity. Give it a name: progress.
📈 At a glance
Pizza charts informed by match data. Each chart rates a chosen player from 0-99 across different metrics (e.g. Dribbles) according to their “percentile rank”. A 75 score shows a player outperforming 75% of other players in the dataset. Each dataset is position-specific. Negative metrics are reversed. [Credit: Riley Roberts.]
