Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma (born 30 August 1996) is a Malian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Yves Bissouma

Bissouma playing for Arsenal F.C in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Yves Bissouma[1]
Date of birth	(1996-08-30) 30 August 1996[2]
Place of birth	Issia, Ivory Coast
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Playing position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Brighton & Hove Albion
Number	8
Youth career
2009–2014	Majestic SC / JMG Academy Bamako
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2016	AS Real Bamako
2016–2017	Lille II	14	(3)
2016–2018	Lille	47	(3)
2018–	Brighton & Hove Albion	50	(1)
National team^‡
2015–	Mali	16	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 July 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 March 2018

Club career

Early career

Born in Ivory Coast, but raised in Mali, Bissouma started his career at the Majestic SC academy in 2009, where he played with Adama Traoré.[3] In 2014, he joined AS Real Bamako.

On 7 July 2016, four months after having arrived at Lille OSC from AS Real Bamako, Bissouma signed his first professional contract with the club, with a duration of three years.[4]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 17 July 2018, Bissouma transferred to English side Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, signing a five-year contract with the club.[5] Bissouma made his debut for the Sussex club on the opening day of the 2018-19 Premier League season in a 2–0 away loss to Watford where he came on as a substitute.[6] He made his first start in Brighton's third match of the season where they lost 1–0 away at Liverpool. Despite the defeat Brighton were praised for their defending and closing Liverpool down.[7] On 5 January 2019 Bissouma scored his first Albion goal on his FA Cup debut in a 3-1 away win against south coast rivals Bournemouth in the third round.[8]

Bissouma's first game of the 2019–20 season came on 21 September away against Newcastle where he came on as a substitute in the 0–0 draw.[9] He scored his first ever Premier League goal on the last day of the season with a long-range shot in a 2–1 away win against Burnley.[10]

International career

Born in the Ivory Coast and raised in Mali, Bissouma participated at the 2016 African Nations Championship with Mali.[11] In the semi-final against the Ivory Coast, he was substituted on in the 76th minute and scored the decisive goal for 1–0 in the 89th minute. However they went to lose in the final against DR Congo.[12]

Career statistics

Club

As of end of 2019–20 season[13]

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Lille II	2016–17	Championnat National 2	14	3	—								14	3
Lille	2016–17	Ligue 1	23	1	3	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	—		27	1
	2017–18		24	2	2	1	2	0	—				28	3
	Total		47	3	5	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	55	4
Brighton & Hove Albion	2018–19	Premier League	28	0	5	1	1	0	—				34	1
	2019–20		22	1	0	0	0	0	—				22	1
	Total		50	1	5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	56	2
Career total			111	7	10	2	3	0	1	0	0	0	125	9

1. 1 appearance in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 23 March 2018 [14]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Mali	2015	1	0
	2016	5	1
	2017	9	2
	2018	1	0
Total		16	3

International goals

Scores and results list Mali's goal tally first.[13]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	4 February 2016	Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali, Rwanda	Ivory Coast	1–0	1–0	2016 African Nations Championship
2.	25 January 2017	Stade d'Oyem, Oyem, Gabon	Uganda	1–1	1–1	2017 Africa Cup of Nations
3.	10 June 2017	Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako, Mali	Gabon	2–1	2–1	2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Mali

• African Nations Championship runner-up: 2016

References

1. "2018/19 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
2. "Yves Bissouma: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
3. Pousset, Maxime. "Qui-es-tu-yves-bissouma" (in French). LOSC.fr. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
4. "Lille : Yves Bissouma signe son premier contrat professionnel". L'Equipe (in French). 7 July 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
5. "Yves Bissouma: Brighton sign Mali international from Lille". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
6. "Watford 2–0 Brighton & Hove Albion". BBC Sport. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
7. "Liverpool 1–0 Brighton: Mohamed Salah goal sends Liverpool top – BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
8. "FA Cup: AFC Bournemouth 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion highlights - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
9. "Newcastle and Brighton in goalless Premier League draw - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
10. "Burnley 1-2 Brighton: Yves Bissouma's stunning strike sees of Clarets - BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
11. http://www.afrikipresse.fr/sports/yves-bissouma-pourquoi-j-ai-choisi-le-mali-les-elephants-m-ont-contacte
12. Kamasa, Peter (5 February 2016). "[PHOTOS]: Bissouma inspires Mali to CHAN final". The New Times (Rwanda). Retrieved 24 August 2016.
13. "Y. Bissouma". Soccerway. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
14. "Yves Bissouma". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.

External links

• Yves Bissouma at Soccerway