Ilay Camara
Senegalese footballer (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ilay Alioune Gino Rian Camara (born 18 January 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a full-back or winger for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht. Born in Belgium, he plays for the Senegal national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ilay Alioune Gino Rian Camara[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 January 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Bonheiden, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Anderlecht | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Keerbergen | |||
| OH Leuven | |||
| Anderlecht | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2023 | Anderlecht B | 30 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | RWDM | 28 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | → Standard Liège (loan) | 34 | (0) |
| 2025– | Anderlecht | 17 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | Belgium U15 | 1 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Belgium U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 2025– | Senegal | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:06, 25 March 2025 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Born in Bonheiden in Antwerp Province, Camara began playing as a youth for KSC Keerbergen before joining OH Leuven. In 2019, he joined R.S.C. Anderlecht.[2] In February 2023, while playing for the reserve team of Les Mauves in the third-tier Belgian National Division 1, the 20-year-old signed his first professional contract, lasting until June 2025.[3]
On 6 September 2023, Camara joined Belgian Pro League side R.W.D. Molenbeek on a three-year deal in a free transfer. He arrived to cover the injury of Sambu Mansoni.[4] He played 28 games, scoring three goals and assisting five, as his team were relegated;[5] on 26 November he was sent off in a 2–1 loss on his return to Anderlecht.[6]
In June 2024, Camara was linked with a transfer to three clubs of the EFL Championship – Coventry City, Preston North End and Burnley – for a fee of £1.5-2 million. Stade de Reims of the French Ligue 1 were also interested.[7][8] Instead, on 13 August he was loaned to Standard Liège of the Belgian top flight, with the option to purchase.[5] In his first month at the club, he played at left and right full-back positions, being praised for his performances by newspaper La Dernière Heure.[9]
In April 2025, Standard signed Camara on a permanent four-year deal, before selling him back to Anderlecht on 5 July for a fee reported by RTBF as between €4 million and €4.5 million.[10] He signed a contract to last until 2030.[11] Having missed the start of the season through injury, he made his debut on 3 August with an assist in a 2–0 win away to Cercle Brugge, and four days later on his European debut he set up the opening goal for Nilson Angulo in a 3–0 home win over Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol in UEFA Conference League qualifiers.[12] He was substituted from that game after 30 minutes and was ruled out with a hamstring injury.[13]
International career
Camara was born in Belgium to a Senegalese father and Belgian mother and holds dual citizenship. He is a former youth international for Belgium.[14]
On 13 March 2025, Camara was called up to the senior Senegal national team for a set of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.[15] Eight days later, his request to switch international allegiance to Senegal was approved by FIFA.[1] He made his debut in the starting line-up in a 2–0 win over Togo on 25 March.[16]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 28 February 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| RSCA Futures | 2022–23 | Challenger Pro League | 17 | 0 | — | — | 9[a] | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Challenger Pro League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||||
| RWDM | 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 | ||
| Standard Liège (loan) | 2024–25 | Belgian Pro League | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| Anderlecht | 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | |
| Career total | 101 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 117 | 1 | ||
- Appearances in Challenger Pro League play-offs
- Appearance in UEFA Conference League
International
- As of match played 25 March 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senegal | 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |