Lamine Mbengue is a 15-year-old left-back who plays for Generation Foot and Senegal U-17.
Mbengue is around 5’10″ (1.78 m) and has a fairly strong build for a 15-year-old. The main thing that makes Mbengue attractive is his ball progression ability. Mbengue is a really strong passer and frequently breaks lines. He also does a good job of passing and moving, quickly advancing the ball up the left flank with 1-2s. Mbengue looked comfortable coming into more central areas of the pitch to make passes and stretching opponents by taking up positions on the touchline. He is generally quite a strong ball carrier as well. He does a good job of dribbling into space when it is presented to him and generally has strong control of the ball. However, when trying to beat opponents 1v1 he is a little bit more inconsistent. He has a tendency to lose his balance while trying to change direction quickly. This may be something that improves as he finishes growing into his frame. Mbengue’s direct contributions in the final third are fairly limited. That is partly because he generally holds a deeper position but also his crossing is not particularly strong at this time. Also, his limited 1v1 dribbling does not help him. Based on his strong passing in deeper areas, it is possible that he could improve his final third contributions.
Mbengue has a strong physical profile which allows him to cover ground and win most physical duels. Despite his difficulties with on-the-ball balance, Mbengue showed some solid athleticism on the defensive side of things. He can turn quickly and he deals well with the ball in the air or when it bounces on him awkwardly.
Mbengue is a technically sound fullback with a solid physical profile. For a player who is only 15, he really stood out in this tournament. I think, therefore, that he could play for a small team in the top 5 leagues (most likely in France) though he would probably need to elevate his play in the final third.
Target Scouting 