Mohamed Daramy – Kobenhavn’s burgeoning striking prospect
FC Kobenhavn have an illustrious lineage of African strikers leading the Danish side to glory as Sibusiso Zuma joined from Orlando Pirates to fire the upcoming side - who had only had one title in their history - to four SuperLiga triumphs. Dame N’Doye has had two goal-laden stints with the club, participating in another four Danish SuperLiga triumphs as Kobenhavn have a new striker of African heritage in their ranks. Mohamed Daramy grew up as a fan of N’Doye and although he has spent his whole life in Denmark and recently gained citizenship as he aspires to play for the country of his birth in the future, Daramy’s roots originate from Sierra Leone.
He was originally supposed to sign for Kobenhavn’s arch-rivals, Brondby IF from his local club, Hvidovre IF as an U14 player but he was pursued by Kobenhavn’s talent manager, Anders Lange who told the teenager that Kobenhavn was interested in him. The youngster’s mind raced with dreams of N’Doye as well as his fascination with the club from an early age as the decision was made all the more difficult by the fact that his mother was a Kobenhavn fan while his father was a Brondby fan. He had always seen matches of the team supported by his mother as he built emotional ties with the capital club before he decided to move to Kobenhavn.
Over the last year or so, Daramy’s development has been so rapid - as he has been linked with the likes of RB Leipzig, Celtic and Liverpool - that Kobenhavn have had to sign him to two contracts. His first professional contract would last until 2021 as at 16-years-old and 263 days he became the club’s youngest goal scorer in history with a debut goal in a Danish Cup tie against Viby in September 2018. He signed an extension in January which was apt as after the Danish SuperLiga restart, he has become an undroppable force in the side with a number of strong performances as his new contract lasts until 2023. It has been a year with the first team for him as he has gone from strength to strength.
At the tender of 18, which he turned in January, he is a modern-day striker with a high level of tactical training and discipline. He is physically well-built, with strong core strength to hold off opposition defenders as he pairs his physical tools with an incredible understanding of time and space. As he develops his goalscoring repertoire, he loves to drop deep and receive possession in the ten space, laying off for teammates as well as flicking behind for his fellow attackers to run onto opportunities. His understanding and anticipatory movements for link-up play is one of his more exceptional traits as he will be playing in the nine space, occupying a defender within the opposition defensive block. He will then make a sudden movement into the pockets which will be perfectly timed to receive possession and turn with his teammates making runs to flick a pass with the outside of his boot.
Daramy’s first touch is exceptional as he can drop extraordinarily deep to receive possession from his centre-backs to work one-touch lay-offs onto teammates. The 18-year-old can also take the ball under his spell as once he turns his man and transitions into an attacking situation, he opens up the game for his team. He is gifted and reliable when receiving the ball with his back to goal as well as being deadly when receiving possession facing the opposition goal as he has the power and directness to surge past opposition defenders on his way to goal. He proved his ability on the turn against Randers when he dropped to receive the ball with his back to goal before suddenly switching his body shape to the half-turn to lay a one-touch pass to a teammate making a run from deep into the pockets who spread the ball to former Manchester United fullback, Guillermo Varela who crossed for Jens Stage to tap in at the far post.
His mind for using his initiative and sense of space to adjust his body to adapt to the movements of his teammates in between the lines is exceptional. If he receives the ball in the wide areas or in-between the lines, he will always be aware when to lay-off a pass or flick-on for a runner. Daramy is modern because his ability in build-up with his back to goal is meshed with the ability to threaten defences by running in behind to take on through balls or lobbed passes to have shots on goal. His first touch allows him to take balls in his stride while being able to hold off markers and drive at goal to create shooting opportunities. The youngster has the tools to be a strong finisher but because of his relative inexperience, he needs to build his cold-blooded instincts in front of goal.
Daramy is well-rounded as Stale Solbakken has sometimes played him on the flank because his dribbling and ability to weave out of tight spaces, is exceptional and sometimes breath-taking. He can receive the ball in tight areas, surrounded by a glut of opponents, twisting and turning on a six-pence to hold his markers before using both of his feet to weave past defenders as if they were stationary cones which allows him to draw players to one zone of the pitch before switching to the other for Kobenhavn to create opportunities. This also allows him to manufacture his own opportunities as against Aalborg he received the ball on his right in between the lines like he normally does, before suddenly changing direction and driving at goal leaving defenders in the lurch as he finished calmly with his left boot. This was made all the more exceptional when he swept in a cross with his right boot a few minutes later showing his potential as a finisher with both feet. He could have got a hat-trick in the game but was denied after he was taken off early in the second-half with a concussion.
Daramy plays in Solbakken’s ultra-modern and vertical 4-4-2 shape which is akin to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton or one of the Red Bull franchises as the striker acts as both playmaker and goal scorer. In approach play sequences, Daramy is tasked with making timed drops in between the lines to receive possession and connect play in the final third as he has a hand in many of his side’s best moves in games, even if it is just a simple one-touch lay-off. In fast-paced vertical sequences, Daramy’s one-touch lay-offs allow a player with a deeper player with a better overview of the pitch to thread passes for third-man runners as this is one of the reasons that he has become such an asset to Kobenhavn.
Daramy, at the age of 18 has the potential to become a high-level striker in the top European Leagues and for Denmark at National Team level. He has the ability to dribble and finish with both feet as once, he gets more experience in goalscoring situations like 1v1s with the goalkeeper, making early runs to the near post from crosses after laying-off passes and late runs to the back-post, he could be a force to be reckoned with. He also needs to learn better timing in dropping deep to receive passes before making runs into the box as this combined with the ability to create opportunities for himself could lead to a plethora of goals. He will also be able to use his quick feet and body to generate space in the box to create shooting opportunities in the box as he has already shown an ability as a one-touch finisher.
Solbakken’s 4-4-2 shape has also given Daramy a certain level of defensive tactical training as Kobenhavn will normally start as a medium block to recognise pressing triggers before pushing up to mark centre-backs as well as the opposition keeper. He can regain loose passes and switch to attacking situations intelligently, allowing Kobenhavn to break at pace. Opposition players will rarely beat him for pace and in shoulder to shoulder challenges as Daramy is exceptional at leading his team in the low block and pushing up to press back-passes or passes into the wide areas.
"He is undoubtedly a very big talent, and during this season he has progressed towards a more mature FCK-player. Beside his obvious offensive skills, he has also proven that he has the tactical and defensive discipline it takes to play for FCK. He had a couple of decisive actions for us in the autumn and got a lot of playing time, but of course he has still something to learn, which is natural for an 18-year old player. He is a good example of the strong work in our Talent Department, and it is an important part of our strategy and identity that we can bring young players all the way to the first team. Therefore, this contract is also a recognition to those who have worked with Mohamed through the years,” said Solbakken to Kobenhavn’s website when the youngster signed a new contract earlier this year.
“It is extra competition for me, but it will always be the case in FCK that you have difficult competitors for all positions. In the beginning I was just a substitute and got the chance in the small matches and in the cup, but now I have fought my way up to be close to the starting places and not just a few 20 minutes. Now I have played here for a long time on the first team and I am not a new person, so people know who I am and there is a natural respect for me. Because they know what I can do. I can show more, but I have shown how high a level I have, and more will probably come from me. Much more,” said Daramy to local Copenhagen news outlet, B.T. after winning a FIFA tournament in April to raise money for people subjected to the effects of Coronavirus.
Solbakken believes that Daramy could have moved to a bigger club before signing a new contract but after only turning 18 this year, the youngster has time on his side as the trust and relationship between player and manager, has only grown. Daramy has 7 goals and 4 assists in all competitions this season, with 4 goals and 4 assists in the Danish SuperLiga as three of those goals have come after the COVID-19 restart. This symbolizes an improvement and a willingness to get on the end of chances as his confidence has grown with becoming a certain starter in the team. He is certainly a player to keep a close eye on in the future as he could grow into a star at the highest level.
