# Bingourou Kamara

Bingourou Kamara (21 October 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 2 club Pau. Born in France, he plays for the Senegal national team.

## Club career
### Early life and training

After starting out with Sainte-Geneviève Sports, he joined Brétigny Foot CS, initially as a central defender. However, at the age of nine, Bingourou Kamara became a goalkeeper, taking advantage of an injury to the team's regular keeper. Bingourou Kamara then joined the Tours Football Club academy in 2012. He won the French U19 Championship in 2014 after saving two penalties in the final against Évian Thonon Gaillard.

### Club career
#### Early career at Tours FC (2014–2017)

During the 2014-2015 season, he joined the professional squad as the third-choice goalkeeper. However, due to suspensions, injuries, and poor form of the goalkeepers above him in the hierarchy, he played his first match during the 13th matchday of Ligue 2 against Stade Lavallois, and subsequently became the first-choice goalkeeper for Tours.

#### RC Strasbourg (2017–2022)

Kamara signed a four-year contract with Racing Club de Strasbourg on July 13, 2017. He played his first official match as a starter on August 5, 2017, during the first matchday of the Ligue 1 season against Olympique Lyonnais.
During the 2018-2019 season, he played all the matches in the Coupe de la Ligue. He stood out in the final by making several decisive saves and stopping a penalty during the shootout, which his team ultimately won.
As the backup to Matz Sels, he did not play any league matches during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. Following the injury of the Belgian goalkeeper in July 2020, Kamara was promoted to first-choice goalkeeper in his absence for the start of the 2020-2021 season.

##### Loan to Sporting Charleroi (2021–2022)

During the first half of the 2021-2022 season, Kamara was not called up for any league matches, as Julien Stéphan preferred Matz Sels and Eiji Kawashima over him. On December 23, 2021, after his last league appearance on November 6, 2020 (a 1-0 loss against Olympique de Marseille), he was loaned out for six months without a purchase option to Royal Charleroi S.C.
Designated as the number 2 goalkeeper at his new club, Bingourou Kamara started as the first-choice goalkeeper in January, filling in for Hervé Koffi, who had left to play in the AFCON with Burkina Faso. During Koffi's absence, Kamara played four matches, achieving three clean sheets. Hervé Koffi returned on February 15, 2022, but due to a concussion sustained during the African competition, Kamara continued as the starting goalkeeper.
On March 11, 2022, Charleroi coach Edward Still clearly stated that Kamara was the second-choice goalkeeper and that Koffi would regain his starting position, which happened on March 12, 2022, for the 31st matchday of the league. Kamara played a total of nine matches in Belgium, from the 22nd to the 30th matchday, achieving four clean sheets and conceding 11 goals.

#### Montpellier HSC (2022–2023)

Upon his return to Strasbourg, Kamara's situation did not improve, as Robin Risser was even preferred over him as the third-choice goalkeeper. On September 1, 2022, Bingourou Kamara joined Montpellier Hérault Sport Club. He signed a one-year contract, becoming the second-choice goalkeeper behind Dimitry Bertaud, who was sidelined with a long-term ACL injury. Following an adductor injury and the suspension of Jonas Omlin, Kamara played five league matches out of the first fourteen. He did not reappear in the starting lineup for the rest of the season. On June 30, 2023, the Montpellier club announced the departure of seven players, including Kamara.

### Pau FC

On 3 July 2023, Kamara joined Pau FC, marking a new chapter in his career as he replaced Alexandre Olliero and Massamba Ndiaye in the goalkeeper position.
Kamara made an immediate impact with his new team. He debuted in a Ligue 2 match against FC Girondins de Bordeaux on 6 August 2023, helping Pau FC secure a 3–0 victory. His performances throughout the season have been marked by consistent reliability, contributing to Pau's strong campaign in Ligue 2. As of the end of the 2023–24 season, Kamara has made 36 appearances for Pau FC, showcasing his skills and solidifying his position as a key player for the team. His ability to command the penalty area and make crucial saves has earned him praise from fans and analysts alike.
Kamara became the team's captain at the start of the 2024–25 season.

## International career

Born in France, Kamara is of Mauritanian and Senegalese descent. He was a youth international for France. He switched sporting nationalities, first representing Senegal in a 3–1 friendly loss to Morocco on 9 October 2020.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 6 January 2023
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Tours B | 2013–14 | CFA 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Tours B | 2014–15 | CFA 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Tours B | 2015–16 | CFA 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Tours B | 2016–17 | CFA 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Tours B | Total | Total | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 |
| Tours | 2014–15 | Ligue 2 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 |
| Tours | 2015–16 | Ligue 2 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 0 |
| Tours | 2016–17 | Ligue 2 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 |
| Tours | Total | Total | 81 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 85 | 0 |
| Strasbourg | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 |
| Strasbourg | 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Strasbourg | 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Strasbourg | 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 |
| Strasbourg | Total | Total | 27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 0 |
| Strasbourg B | 2017–18 | National 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Strasbourg B | 2018–19 | National 3 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Strasbourg B | 2019–20 | National 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Strasbourg B | Total | Total | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Charleroi (loan) | 2021–22 | First Division A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Montpellier | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 140 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 0 |

## Honours

Strasbourg
* Coupe de la Ligue: 2018–19