A product of the Majestic SC, JMG Academy Bamako from 2009 to 2015, Yves Bissouma is, without a doubt, a success story of the CHAN tournament.
The Malian international, born in Issia, Western Cote d’Ivoire joined AS Real Bamako in the summer of 2015 from boyhood club JMG Bamako ahead of the CHAN 2016 tournament hosted in Rwanda.
At the tournament, Mali reached its first continental final, thanks to a Bissouma goal in the semis that was enough to edge past Cote d’Ivoire, his country of birth.
The Democratic Republic of Congo were the eventual winners having thumped Mali 3-0 at full time. However, a new chapter awaited writing for the Malian midfield maestro.
After the tournament, Bissouma signed for French top-tier club LOSC Lille in an undisclosed deal before joining in July for the 2016/17 season.
In France, he started the 2016/17 season with the Lille reserves and featured in the Championnat National Group B, the fourth tier of French football due to stiff competition posed by Cameroonian-born French International Ibrahim Amadou and Rio Mavuba then at Lille.
He subsequently registered two goals in seven appearances for the reserves side before being granted a promotion to the senior team in the same season after his impressive show.
On the senior team, he registered more minutes in twenty-three appearances, scoring a goal and receiving four yellow cards including a marching order(red card).
However, in the 2017/18 season, he rejoined the Lille reserve side this time featuring in Championnat National Group C where he registered a goal in three appearances before reuniting with the LOSC Lille senior team in the same season.
He concluded his last season in France with LOSC Lille’s first team where he secured two goals and an assist in twenty-four league appearances.
Bissouma registered his highest game minutes(1,555) in his last season before heading out to South England with Brighton and Hove Albion.
In July 2018, Bissouma joined English Premier League club Brighton for 16.8 million Euros signaling rapid progress in his career given that two years back his fee was undisclosed.
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