Amadou Dante

Position: Left back/Left wingback

Current Club: Sturm Graz (Austria)

DOB: 7 October 2000

Birthplace: Mali

Height: 179 cm (5’10)

Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs)

Amadou Dante is an energetic and persistent left fullback or wingback who succeeds most at fulfilling his defensive duties. The Malian has plenty of speed, acceleration and stamina to get up and down the left flank to contribute to his team’s attacks as well as when covering back to defend. Dante’s positioning and ability to defend in transition makes him a valuable asset for current club Sturm Graz against teams who intend to open up the match and attack. A high level of consistency and reliability make Dante’s recent debut for the Mali senior national team well deserved.

Where Dante currently struggles is when he intends to play on the front foot and be more aggressive. At times he allows attackers to get behind him too easily when he attempts to win the ball up in higher positions. Dante also needs to continue improving his attacking attributes to play at a higher level, particularly his crossing when there is pressure or when he needs to play the ball on his first touch.

+ Very quick and accelerates to top speed rapidly.

+ Excellent stamina to contribute both in attack as well as defense. Has all the physical attributes to be a high level wingback.

– Can be dominated on aerial duels when covering the far post on crosses due to lack of size.

+ Contributes to team buildups with good short passing. Rarely commits passing errors in his own end.

+ Good dribbler who maintains high acceleration and speed when moving with the ball at his feet.

– Average to below average crossing. Struggles when attempting to strike accurate crosses on his first touch and is more error prone in the attacking end when the pressure increases.

– Needs to be more efficient and effective in defensive duels and when attempting tackles.

+ Steady and consistent player who is reliable in defense. Does not attempt to play beyond his abilities.

+ Has gradually progressed since moving to European football and continues to improve as he gains more experience.

– May not have the potential to improve much more at this point. Very solid but does not look capable of leaping to another level as a player.

+ Excellent at defending in transition and when he is marking or reacting. Takes up good positions when the opposition attacks on the break and can cover multiple attackers and passing lanes due to his speed and positioning.

+ Picks his moments well when moving forward. Generally maintains the team shape in defense and attack and is not too adventurous.

– Occasionally is too aggressive when engaging opposing ball handlers. Is better when he is anticipating and maintaining his position rather than when he attempts to press.

Rankings are from the last twelve months (October 2021-October 2022) in the Austrian Bundesliga among 25 left backs who have played 800 minutes or more:

First let us take a look at Dante’s defensive statistics and where he tends to succeed most:

As mentioned in his strengths and weaknesses above, Dante is excellent at taking up good positions and reacting when the ball is played towards his area to make interceptions. His interception statistics are among the best in Austria’s top division because of his speed, which along with his stamina allows him to constantly be involved whenever the ball comes to the left flank. However, in order to graduate to a higher level Dante will need to be even more efficient in shutting down opposition players on the ball. HIs defensive duel winning percentage indicates that his tackling is not at the standard needed in a major European league at this point.

Dante’s weaknesses are clear when he is on the ball. The left back is quite good when the ball is at his feet and he can run at players in open spaces but his services and passing are substandard. At this point Dante is a defensive oriented player who needs to continue improving his ability when moving forward. His crossing accuracy percentage is quite poor but it is a bit deceiving. Dante looks to put his crosses into a general area rather than attempting to pick out a specific target and the result is that many of his services do not connect with teammates.

For a team like Sturm Graz that competes at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga, these weaknesses are not apparent in domestic league play but are a reason why Sturm Graz struggle to score in the UEFA Europa League with an unbalanced attack. Below is a video showing how the speed of play against higher level teams can negatively impact Dante when he is attempting to move forward and contribute to his team’s attacks.

The one thing that stands out about Amadou Dante is how steady and reliable he is in many areas. Dante is at an advanced level when taking up defensive positions and defending on the break, attributes that are very valuable for a fullback or wingback when shutting down opposition attacks. His gradual improvement since arriving from Malian football as a 19-year-old is clear and Dante has earned his status as a regular starter for a club that competes in UEFA interclub competitions.

However, there is not much to suggest that Dante will thrive at a level like France’s Ligue 1 or at a top-8 club in leagues like Belgium or Portugal. His consistency and reliability are great attributes but it is difficult to see him increasing his attacking ability to the point where he becomes a threat when moving forward on the left flank. Dante is playing at a good level for his abilities right now but he will need to improve his crossing and when playing at a higher speed of play before he can move on from a club like Sturm Graz.