At the final whistle in Troyes, Kelyann Bezahaf looked briefly as though the occasion was still catching up with him. Then Nouhoum Kamissoko arrived, lifted his fellow Marseille academy graduate and spun him around on the Stade de l’Aube pitch. Both had just come through their first professional starts in a 2-0 win, and both had left a clear mark on the night.
The move
Marseille coach Bruno Genesio handed 20-year-old right-back Bezahaf and 21-year-old defensive midfielder Kamissoko their first starts on Sunday evening, with the pair responding by being among OM’s strongest performers.
Kamissoko was selected ahead of Tochukwu Nnadi to cover for the injured Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg. The Mali midfielder brought the physical presence Marseille had been lacking in the centre of the pitch, making six recoveries and repeatedly covering ground for his team-mates.
There was an edge to his display, with Kamissoko at times overly forceful in the challenge, a tendency that has also been noted during his reserve-team appearances. But he also showed composure in possession and helped create Amine Harit’s opening goal in the 50th minute with a well-chosen forward pass.
Cramp forced Kamissoko off in the 73rd minute, although he had recovered enough strength to join Bezahaf in the celebrations after the match. Having spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Châteauroux and previously made a senior appearance under Habib Beye, he now looks capable of earning a place in Marseille’s midfield rotation.
Bezahaf, an Algeria Under-23 international, started at right-back in the absence of suspended captain Timothy Weah. A former winger converted into a defender by Marseille’s academy staff, he had played only six first-team minutes before this match despite being regularly used during pre-season.
He began cautiously but grew into the game, producing two interceptions and six ball recoveries. His willingness to push forward from the right also suggested he could provide real competition for Weah, and potentially give the captain the option of playing further up the flank.
Genesio said the two youngsters had shown the initiative his side needed. “They were the two who took the most responsibility,” he said. “Perhaps that is the fearlessness of youth.”
The French season around it
Genesio had previously made clear that Marseille’s younger players would receive opportunities only if their performances justified them. In Troyes, Bezahaf and Kamissoko answered that demand while helping meet two priorities set by their coach: greater work rate and a much stronger defensive base.
Bezahaf’s route has opened following the departures of Amir Murillo and Benjamin Pavard during the second half of last season, while Kamissoko offers a more athletic option in midfield at a time when Marseille need added physicality.
- Kelyann Bezahaf, 20: Marseille right-back, Algeria Under-23 international and former winger.
- Nouhoum Kamissoko, 21: Mali defensive midfielder, formerly on loan at Châteauroux.
- Timothy Weah: Marseille captain, unavailable in Troyes through suspension.
- Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg: absent with injury, creating Kamissoko’s opportunity.
“I am happy to see that we can rely on them, because we will need them,” Genesio said. After one composed night in the Aube, two players from Marseille’s former reserve side have given their coach a reason to rethink the depth chart.
