Norwich City’s comeback win against Cardiff City right before the international break in the Championship has arguably kept David Wagner in his job, the under-fire Canaries manager hanging onto his position with his team overcoming the Bluebirds 3-2 with a second-half flurry of goals.
Adam Idah would be the Canaries hero up top as the clock ticked down in the Welsh capital, the homegrown attacker netting his fifth goal of the season to clinch the dramatic win from off the bench – his first strike in a Norwich strip since scoring a brace away at Plymouth Argyle in late September.
Idah’s late goal only makes Wagner’s choice over who he starts as his main striker week in, week out more tricky, Norwich struggling to find a new talismanic figure to lead from the front ever since Teemu Pukki departed for America in the summer.
Not playing as a traditional centre-forward for his current loan club, Norwich academy product Abu Kamara is loving life as a left winger at Portsmouth currently, despite mainly featuring as a lone striker in the Canaries youth set-up.
He could well be the answer to Norwich’s attacking woes if they continue, returning from the south coast to Norfolk with a point to prove when the loan expires.
Kamara’s career so far
Kamara has garnered a reputation at Norwich for being a prolific forward, scoring 43 times for both the U18’s and U21’s over 80 appearances.
Plying his trade more often than not as a centre-forward for the Canaries, Kamara has also featured down the channels on occasion – scoring 11 of his U21 goals as a winger, with the 20-year-old even playing as an attacking midfielder here and there when asked to do so.
This versatility – on top of his lethal goalscoring record at youth level which saw the 6 foot attacker net 13 goals last season in Premier League 2 from just 15 appearances – piqued Portsmouth’s interest with John Mousinho tieing Kamara down to a season-long loan deal in the hopes he could potentially strut his stuff at a senior level.
Kamara has shown his raw talent so far – labelled as an “exciting” young prospect right after signing by the Pompey boss – and proving to be just that for Mousinho’s table-toppers.
Kamara’s season in numbers
Not quite reaching the same dizzying Norwich goalscoring heights just yet at Pompey, Kamara is still pleasing the Portsmouth fanbase with his displays that show great promise for the future.
Portsmouth’s new number 25 has four goals and three assists from 22 appearances to date, scoring in Pompey’s last League One encounter versus Charlton to open the scoring – a rocket of a strike hitting the back of the net, the Addicks shot-stopper watching the shot sail in.
This was his first goal in league action for Pompey since scoring at the start of September versus Peterborough United, but Kamara is far more than just an out-and-out goalscorer for his new short-term employers.
Up against Charlton, Kamara won three of his four ground duels, as per Sofascore, with the 20-year-old also attempting to be a provider for his teammates with two accurate crosses into the box – sharp-shooter Colby Bishop unable to get on the end both times to meaningfully connect.
With Norwich in need of a competent backup attacker at this point in time – reserve option Ashley Barnes only netting twice this season after joining from Burnley in the summer – Kamara could be a useful long-term solution to the club’s attacking woes, with the 34-year-old Barnes a mere short-term option.
Wagner could also move Kamara to a position down the channels if he remains in his job after this season to compete with Christian Fassnacht, with such versatility also making the youngster a perhaps more rounded option in contrast to the veteran Barnes – who solely operates through the middle.
In the meantime, however, Kamara will just be concentrating on helping Portsmouth in whatever way he can for now, with Mousinho’s men hoping promotion to the Championship is sealed this campaign.
