Facinet Conte

Born in 2005 in Conakry, Guinea, Facinet Conte joined BSC Young Boys last summer after a season at SC Bastia. Before arriving in Europe, he played for Siaka Académie and Flamme Olympique, both in his home country. In early 2024, he debuted for the Guinea national team and has one goal in six internationals. He can play as a centre forward or as a winger on both corridors. He is currently going through a period of injury following a ruptured cruciate ligament.

Facinet is impressive from a physical point of view: ectomorphic, of medium height, agile, and with a high speed of movement. Because of this – and also the fact that he has easy acceleration – he is difficult to stop, as he can cover great distances in no time when out in the open space (with and without the ball). He favours his right foot but knows how to use his left foot in situations where it’s needed.

Technically, Facinet Conte can perform any kind of action. When it comes to finishing, he can do it with both feet or with a header, even if he doesn’t have a remarkable physical stature. This shows two things: his ability to find space inside the area and his ability to push forward. In terms of progression, he is a player who succeeds when there is space in front of him. However, he’s not the most exuberant of players when it comes to dribbling – he usually tries to use body feints, such as “scissors”, or body movements to outwit his opponent, gain his space and explode. Although it’s not his favourite move, Conte is a striker who can drop and pass to a colleague who is facing the game. It’s noticeable that there are still some things to be done with his passing, as it’s a technical gesture that he performs with little naturalness and doesn’t come out as easily as his finishing, for example. Even so, in those moments, it’s commendable that he tries to link up play and quickly explodes into the space he’s just conquered with his drag – ‘toco y me voy’.

Defensively, Conte’s physique and competitive attitude make him a player capable of playing any type of defensive pattern the game demands. He can either close down a block with low lines or pressurise the opposition’s ball out wide. His containment is not patient, but aggressive and like a player who wants to win the ball at all costs.

Facinet Conte is an intelligent striker. This is evident in two aspects: his ability to anticipate scenarios and his movement without the ball in the box to gain space for a finish. The first shows his acumen and instinct as a striker – the physical side of his game helps him enormously through easy acceleration and speed. The second shows his mastery of counter-movements and the use of the blind side of the defence to surprise the opponent when the pass for the finish comes along.

The injury will ultimately jeopardise Facinet’s development, as he was having a breakthrough year in 2024, as his move to Switzerland proves. When he returns from injury, it will be necessary to see how he grows physically and whether that is enough for his potential to remain untouched. If we only look at his potential, it’s possible to say that Facinet Conte is a player who can make it into the top five European leagues. The fact that he’s in a growing league and at a club that values his type of profile could help him achieve an interesting performance.