Mame Baba Thiam (born 9 October 1992) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Süper Lig club Pendikspor and the Senegal national team.

Mame Thiam
Thiam with Esteghlal in 2018
Personal information
Full name Mame Baba Thiam
Date of birth (1992-10-09) 9 October 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth Nguidile, Senegal
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Pendikspor
Number 27
Youth career
2007–2008 Real San Marco
2008–2009 Treviso
2009–2010 Internazionale
2009–2010Sassuolo (loan)
2010 Sassuolo
2010–2011 Internazionale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Internazionale 0 (0)
2011–2012Avellino (loan) 26 (4)
2012–2013Südtirol (loan) 27 (6)
2013–2014 Lanciano 22 (3)
2014–2017 Juventus 0 (0)
2014–2015Lanciano (loan) 34 (8)
2015–2016Zulte Waregem (loan) 28 (9)
2016–2017PAOK (loan) 1 (0)
2017Empoli (loan) 15 (1)
2018 Esteghlal 6 (4)
2018–2019 Ajman 26 (13)
2019–2020 Kasımpaşa 25 (11)
2020–2021 Fenerbahçe 30 (6)
2021–2024 Kayserispor 70 (30)
2024– Pendikspor 8 (3)
International career
2020– Senegal 4 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Senegal
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner 2021 Cameroon
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 March 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 December 2022

Club career edit

Youth career edit

Born in Nguidile,[2] Louga Region,[3] Thiam left for Italy at young age. He was selected to Veneto region Allievi team for Coppa Nazionale Primavera, a competition against other Italy regional representatives in 2007–08 season.[4] At club level he played for Real San Marco, from Chirignago [it], mainland area of Venice municipality.[5] In 2008, he was signed by Veneto club Treviso.[6] In January 2009 he was signed by Internazionale from Treviso along with Samuel Longo.[7] He immediately entered Inter's Allievi Nazionali under-17 team,[8] scoring 4 goals in regular season (group stage).[9] Due to Inter's Primavera under-20 team had many strikers, namely Denis Alibec, Mattia Destro, Simone Dell'Agnello, Giuseppe Angarano and Longo, Thiam left for Sassuolo's Primavera team in August 2009. The Emilia-Romagna side also borrowed Alberto Gallinetta and kept numbers of former Inter players by extended the loans or excised the option to sign outright from Inter, such as Pellegrino Albanese, Raffaele Conforto and Giorgio Schiavini. Thiam was the starting forward along with Diego Falcinelli,[10][11][12][13] who also from Inter academy. However the coach also used other formation and preferred Falcinelli as sole centre forward[14] despite Thiam also played that role few time.[15] That season Thiam scored 4 times.[16]

During the season, Inter formed a complex deal with Sassuolo, which allowed Thiam to join Sassuolo for free in January 2010 (Inter registered a loss of €71,000),[17] then Thiam re-joined Inter on 30 August[18] in co-ownership deal, with Thiam's contract treated as a financial asset in Sassuolo's account and an intangible asset in Inter account, as well as the "parent" club of the co-ownership contract became Sassuolo instead of Inter. With Inter Primavera team, he scored 4 goals in the regular season, behind strikers Dell'Agnello, Alibec and midfielder Milan Jirásek.[19] He also won 2011 Torneo di Viareggio with the reserves.[20]

Serie C1 loans edit

On 30 August 2011, he left for Avellino from Inter Milan.[21] He made his professional debut on 25 September against Viareggio as a substitute for Gianluca De Angelis.[22] He made his first start in the following game against Sorrento. He played the successive game, scoring on 13, 16 and 30 October (round 7, 8 and 10), partnering Zigoni, Fabrizio Lasagna and De Angelis respectively. However, after a goal drought Thiam lost the starting place, and became the backup of De Angelis and Zigoni. He returned to starting XI again on 7 March 2012, partnering Zigoni. In June 2012 Inter also acquired Thiam outright, as Sassuolo gave up their 50% registration rights of Thiam.

On 12 July 2012, Thiam moved to another third level club, South Tyrol (German: Südtirol, Italian: Alto Adige).[23]

Lanciano and Juventus edit

On 15 July 2013, Thiam joined Serie B club Lanciano on a free transfer.[24] On 30 January 2014, Lanciano signed goalkeeper Laurențiu Brănescu in a co-ownership deal for €250,000 cash plus 50% registration rights of Thiam (50% "card" of Thiam was valued at €1.4 million; 50% "card" of Brănescu was valued €1.65 million).[25][26] Thiam signed a 4+12-year contract with The Old Lady.

Thiam spent the rest of the 2013–14 season in Lanciano. He continues in Lanciano in the 2014–2015 season. In June 2015 Juventus signed Thiam outright for another €800,000;[27][28] on 8 July Lanciano signed Filippo Penna (about €340,000) and Marco Di Benedetto (undisclosed) as compensations.[29]

Zulte Waregem (loan) edit

On 26 July 2015, Thiam signed with Zulte Waregem in a temporary deal.[30] The move made Juventus had a signing quota for non-European Union nationals (another quota was from Carlos Tevez[31]), which the club later signed Alex Sandro, who counted as a non-EU.[32]

After the loan Thiam returned to Juventus for their pre-season camp.[33]

PAOK (loan) edit

On 31 August 2016, Thiam joined PAOK on loan.[34]

Empoli (loan) edit

On 13 January 2017, Thiam signed with Empoli in a temporary deal.[35] He scored a goal against A.C. Milan on 23 April 2017, giving Empoli a crucial 3-points for their battle from relegation. He also played in the last round of the season, which Empoli relegated by losing to already relegated Palermo.

After the loan, Thiam returned to Turin once again for their pre-season camp.[36] It was reported that he canceled the contract with Juventus in a mutual consent in September 2017.[37]

Esteghlal edit

 
Thiam during his debut for Esteghlal in 2018

On 6 February 2018, Thiam signed a 1+12-year contract with Esteghlal after he passed the medical examination.[38] He was assigned the number 25 shirt to wear in the league, however he chose to wear his favourite number 7 in the AFC Champions League as it was vacant.[39]

Thiam made his debut on 8 February in a 3–0 victory against Sepidrood coming on as a substitute for Ali Ghorbani in the 82nd minute.[40] He started his first match for Esteghlal in the Champions League match against Al-Hilal in which he his first goal for the club.[41] The goal was Esteghlal's 200th goal in AFC Champions League history and they became the first Iranian team to reach that milestone.[42] Esteghlal eventually won 1–0 and Thiam was named Man of the Match for his performance.[43][44] On 24 February, Thiam opened his scoring account in the league with a brace in a 4–1 away victory against Foolad. He also provided an assist for another goal in that match.[45] On 6 March, he scored another brace in a 2–2 champions league draw against Al-Ain,[46] and was named "Man of the match" for the second consecutive time.[47] On 3 May, Thiam scored Esteghlal's only goal to defeat Khooneh be Khooneh 1–0 in the 2018 Hazfi Cup Final, winning his first piece of silverware with the club.[48] On 15 May, he scored his first hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Zob Ahan.[49] His three goals saw him become the club's all-time foreign leading goalscorer, overtaking Jlloyd Samuel's record of 11 goals on the day of his death.[50] Due to his performance, he was named round of 16's second leg player of the week and was included in the round of 16's team of the week.[51][52][53] Thiam finished his season with twelve goals in all competitions in 13 appearances, the club finished 3rd in the league that season.

Ajman edit

On 8 August 2018, Thiam joined UAE team Ajman from Esteghlal FC on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[54][55] Thiam made his debut for the club on 30 August, in a 1–0 league victory over Al-Nasr in which he scored his first goal for the club.[56]

Kasımpaşa edit

On 24 June 2019, Thiam joined Turkish Süper Lig side Kasımpaşa on a two-year contract.[57] He made his debut for the club on 18 August against Trabzonspor.[58] In the next match, he scored his first for the club in a 4–1 defeat against Alanyaspor.[59]

Fenerbahçe edit

On 18 August 2020, Thiam joined fellow Süper Lig club Fenerbahçe on a three-year contract.[60]

Kayserispor edit

In the summer of 2021 the African footballer signed for Central Anatolian side Kayserispor on a three-year contract.[61]

International career edit

Thiam first represented the Senegal national team in a friendly 3–1 loss to Morocco on 9 October 2020.[62]

He was part of Senegal's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations; the Lions of Teranga went on to win the tournament for the first time in their history.[63][64]

Thiam was appointed a Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion by President of Senegal Macky Sall following the nation's victory at the tournament.[65]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

As of 11 December 2023.[66][1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental1 Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Avellino 2011–12 Lega Pro 26 4 0 0 26 4
Südtirol 2012–13 Lega Pro 29 6 1 0 30 6
Virtus Lanciano 2013–14 Serie B 22 3 1 0 23 3
2014–15 34 8 2 1 36 9
Total 56 11 3 1 59 12
Zulte Waregem 2015–16 Belgian Pro League 28 9 1 0 29 9
PAOK 2016–17 Super League Greece 1 0 2 0 5 0 8 0
Empoli 2016–17 Serie A 15 1 0 0 15 1
Esteghlal 2017–18 Persian Gulf Pro League 6 4 1 1 6 7 13 12
Ajman 2018–19 UAE Pro-League 26 13 4 0 30 13
Kasımpaşa 2019–20 Süper Lig 25 11 3 1 28 12
Fenerbahçe 2020–21 Süper Lig 30 6 4 2 5 3 39 11
Kayserispor 2021–22 Süper Lig 24 11 3 1 27 12
Kayserispor 2022–23 Süper Lig 27 8 3 0 30
Kayserispor 2023–24 Süper Lig 19 11 0 0 19 11
Career total 313 95 25 6 16 10 0 0 354 111

1 Includes Europa League and AFC Champions League matches.

Honours edit

Esteghlal

Senegal

Individual

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Mame Baba Thiam - Ajman club".
  2. ^ "F.C. INTERNAZIONALE MILANO - OFFICIAL WEB SITE". inter.it.
  3. ^ "PEPAM". pepam.gouv.sn. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
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  31. ^ "Extracomunitari tesserabili: la situazione delle 20 squadre di A - Fantagazzetta.com". 24 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
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  34. ^ Στον ΠΑΟΚ ο Μαμέ Τιάμ (in Greek). PAOK FC. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  35. ^ "Benvenuto Thiam" (in Italian). Empoli F.C. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  36. ^ "Bianconeri back to work this weekend" (Press release). Juventus F.C. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  37. ^ "Gewezen spits in JPL verbreekt contract met Juve, Belgische clubs houden zich klaar". voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch). 27 October 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  38. ^ "Former Juventus Striker Baba Thiam to Join Iran's Esteghlal". Tasnim News Agency. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  39. ^ شماره پیراهن بازیکنان جدید استقلال مشخص شد [The numbers of new Esteghlal players were revealed] (in Persian). ILNA. 7 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  40. ^ "استقلال 3 - سپیدرود رشت 0 / خط و نشان آسیایی با غلبه بر جادوگر" [Esteghlal 3 - Sepidrood 0]. ILNA. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
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  42. ^ استقلال به رکورد 200 گل در لیگ قهرمانان آسیا رسید [Esteghlal reached the record of 200 goals in the Champions League] (in Persian). Tarafdari. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  43. ^ استقلال 1-0 الهلال عربستان؛ مانور قدرت پسران شفر در گروه مرگ [Esteghlal 1 - Al-Hilal 0] (in Persian). Tarafdari. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  44. ^ مامه بابا تیام به عنوان بهترین بازیکن دیدار استقلال و الهلال عربستان انتخاب شد [Thiam was named "Man of the match" during Esteghlal vs Al-Hilal Battle] (in Persian). Tarafdari. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  45. ^ "فولاد 1- استقلال 4؛ ترسناک در آستانه دربی!" [Foolad 1 - Esteghlal 4]. Varzesh3. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  46. ^ "Matchday Three - Group D: Al Ain 2-2 Esteghlal". AFC. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  47. ^ تیام بهترین بازیکن استقلال و العین شد [Thiam was named "Man of the match" during Esteghlal vs Al-Hilal Battle] (in Persian). Varzesh 3. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  48. ^ استقلال 1- خونه به خونه 0؛ هفتمین تاج‌گذاری (in Persian). Varzesh 3. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  49. ^ استقلال 3- ذوب‌آهن 1؛ فرار به سوی افتخار (in Persian). Varzesh 3. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  50. ^ تیام، بهترین گلزن خارجی تاریخ باشگاه استقلال شد [Thiam became Esteghlal's all-time foreign leading goalscorer.] (in Persian). Tarafdari. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  51. ^ "TOYOTA PLAYER OF THE WEEK | AFC". www.the-afc.com.
  52. ^ "Presenting the #ACL2018 Team of the Week! What a lineup!". Twitter. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  53. ^ تیم منتخب دور برگشت مرحله یک هشتم نهایی لیگ قهرمانان آسیا؛ حضور سه پرسپولیسی و تیام [2018 AFC Champions League round of 16 Team of the Week; presence of 3 Persepolis players and Thiam] (in Persian). Tarafdari. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  54. ^ تعاقد نادي عجمان رسمياً مع اللاعب السنغالي مامي تيام لمدة موسمين قادماً من نادي الاستقلال الإيراني [Ajman have officially signed Senegalese player Mame Thiam from the Iranian club Esteghlal FC on a two-year contract] (in Arabic). Instagram. 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  55. ^ عجمان يضم السنغالي مامي تيام [Ajman adds the Senegalese player Mame Thiam] (in Arabic). Al Bayan. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  56. ^ عجمان يهزم النصر ويحصد أول 3 نقاط [Ajman defeated Al-Nasr and the first 3 points] (in Arabic). Al Bayan. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  57. ^ "Mame Baba Kasımpaşamızda". Kasımpaşa. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  58. ^ "Kasımpaşa: 1 - Trabzonspor: 1". Habertürk. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  59. ^ "Alanyaspor, Kasımpaşa karşisinda şov yapti". Habertürk. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  60. ^ "MAME THIAM FENERBAHÇEMİZDE". Fenerbahçe. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  61. ^ "Kayserispor Mame Thiam ile 3 yıllık sözleşme imzaladı". Anadolu Agency. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  62. ^ "Morocco vs. Senegal - 9 October 2020 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
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  65. ^ a b "Cash prizes, real estate, and highest honours as Senegal celebrates Nations Cup heroes". Reuters. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  66. ^ "M. THIAM – Career statistics". Soccerway.
  67. ^ "Africa Cup Of Nations: Senegal Beat Egypt To Win Final (AFCON)". Sports Illustrated. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.

External links edit