Sékou Mara
 Mara in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 July 2002[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Paris, France | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Strasbourg | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2014 | Paris Saint-Germain | ||
| 2014–2017 | Boulogne-Billancourt | ||
| 2017–2021 | Bordeaux | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019–2020 | Bordeaux B | 14 | (5) |
| 2020–2022 | Bordeaux | 34 | (7) |
| 2022–2024 | Southampton | 50 | (4) |
| 2024– | Strasbourg | 26 | (1) |
| 2025–2026 | → Auxerre (loan) | 27 | (3) |
| International career | |||
| 2017 | France U16 | 2 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | France U17 | 4 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | France U20 | 10 | (6) |
| 2021–2023 | France U21 | 4 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 August 2026 | |||
Sékou Mara (born 30 July 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.
Mara is a product of the Bordeaux academy and made his professional debut for the club in February 2021. He moved to English club Southampton in July 2022 before returning to France with Strasbourg in August 2024. Mara spent the 2025–26 season on loan at Auxerre. He has represented his country at youth levels.
Club career
Bordeaux
Mara made his professional debut for Bordeaux in a 2–0 Coupe de France loss to Toulouse on 10 February 2021.[3] He scored his first professional goal in a 1–0 Ligue 1 win over Rennes on 2 May 2021. By scoring this goal, he became the youngest player to score a league goal for Bordeaux in almost 14 years.[4]
Southampton
On 21 July 2022, it was confirmed by Bordeaux that they had accepted an offer from Southampton for Mara, and that the deal was subject to a medical.[5] On 25 July 2022, Southampton confirmed that Mara had signed a four-year deal with the club.[6] On 13 August 2022, Mara made his first Premier League appearance in Southampton’s 2–2 draw with Leeds United after he replaced Jan Bednarek.[7] On 11 January 2023, Mara scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 quarter final EFL Cup victory against Manchester City.[8] On 8 April 2023, Mara scored his first Premier League goal in a 1–4 defeat against Manchester City.[9]
On 13 April 2024, he came on as a substitute for Ché Adams in the 80th minute of a 3–2 victory against Watford.[10] Shortly afterwards, Mara struck Ryan Porteous in an unpunished off-the-ball incident.[11] On 16 April 2024, the Football Association gave Mara a three-match suspension for violent conduct.[12]
Strasbourg
On 21 August 2024, Mara joined Strasbourg on a five-year contract.[13][14] On 5 September 2025, Mara was loaned by Auxerre, also in Ligue 1.[15]
International career
Mara is a youth international for France. He has played matches at under-16, under-17, under-20, and under-21 level.[16]
Personal life
Mara's mother, Audrey Crespo-Mara, is a French journalist and television presenter,[17] and his father, Aliou Mara, is a Senegalese entrepreneur.[18]
Career statistics
- As of match played 21 August 2026[19]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bordeaux B | 2019–20 | Championnat National 3 | 11 | 5 | — | — | — | 11 | 5 | |||
| 2020–21 | Championnat National 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 5 | — | — | — | 14 | 5 | |||||
| Bordeaux | 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 6 | |||
| Total | 34 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 7 | ||||
| Southampton | 2022–23[20] | Premier League | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 30 | 2 | |
| 2023–24[21] | Championship | 28 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 34 | 6 | |
| 2024–25[22] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 50 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 8 | ||
| Strasbourg | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 27 | 3 | ||
| 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2026–27 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 26 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 28 | 3 | ||||
| Auxerre (loan) | 2025–26 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 151 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 169 | 26 | ||
- ↑ Appearance in Championship play-offs
Honours
Individual
- Maurice Revello Tournament Golden Boot: 2022
- Maurice Revello Tournament Silver Ball: 2022
- Maurice Revello Tournament Best XI: 2022[23]
References
- ↑ "Sékou Mara: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ↑ "Sékou Mara". Southampton FC. Southampton F.C. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ↑ "Bordeaux vs Toulouse (0-2) - Coupe de France 2/10/21 UTC". OneFootball. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ↑ Oludare, Shina (2 May 2021). "Sekou Mara makes history with Bordeaux strike against Rennes in Ligue 1". Sporting News. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ↑ "Southampton 'agree deal' for Bordeaux striker Mara". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
- ↑ "Saints complete Mara signing". Southampton FC. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ↑ Mann, Mantej (13 August 2022). "Southampton 2–2 Leeds". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ↑ McNulty, Phil (11 January 2023). "Southampton 2–0 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
- ↑ "Premier League: Southampton 1-4 Man City - Alvarez scores City's fourth". BBC Sport. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ↑ "Southampton 3–2 Watford". BBC Sport. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ↑ House, Alfie (15 April 2024). "Southampton forward could be hit with three-match FA suspension". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ↑ House, Alfie (16 April 2024). "FA confirm violent conduct punishment for Southampton player". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ↑ "Sékou Mara signe au Racing". RC Strasbourg Alsace (in French). 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ↑ "Mara departs for Strasbourg". Southampton FC. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ↑ "Sékou Mara prêté à l'AJA !" [Sékou Mara loaned to AJA!] (in French). AJ Auxerre. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ↑ "Sékou Mara". FFF (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ↑ Tournoux, Gilles; Bernard, Olivier (7 August 2020). "Football : le rêve devient réalité pour le fils d'Audrey Crespo-Mara" [Football: the dream comes true for the son of Audrey Crespo-Mara]. Le Parisien. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ↑ "A la découverte de Sékou Mara, ce franco-sénégalais de 18 ans qui a signé pro au FC des Girondins de Bordeaux" [To the discovery of Sékou Mara, this 18-year old French-Senegalese who signed pro with FC Girondins de Bordeaux]. wiwSport.com (in French). August 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ↑ "France – S. Mara – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
- ↑ "Games played by Sékou Mara in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ↑ "Games played by Sékou Mara in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- ↑ "Games played by Sékou Mara in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ↑ "Maurice Revello Tournament 2022 best XI". www.festival-foot-espoirs.com. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
External links
- Sékou Mara at the French Football Federation (in French)
- 2002 births
- Footballers from Paris
- Living people
- 21st-century French sportsmen
- Black French sportspeople
- French sportspeople of Senegalese descent
- Men's association football forwards
- French men's footballers
- France men's youth international footballers
- France men's under-21 international footballers
- FC Girondins de Bordeaux players
- Southampton F.C. players
- RC Strasbourg Alsace players
- AJ Auxerre players
- Championnat National 2 players
- Ligue 1 players
- Premier League players
- English Football League players
- French expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- French expatriate sportspeople in England