Lamin Conteh

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Lamin Conteh Jr.

| fullname =

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1976|6|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Freetown, Sierra Leone

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|5|5|1976|6|20|df=y}}

| death_place = Kenema, Sierra Leone

| height = 1.74 m{{cite web | url = http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/intligen/italien/serie-a-tim/2013-14/vereinslos-0/1224/spieler_lamin-conteh.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130930223725/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/intligen/italien/serie-a-tim/2013-14/vereinslos-0/1224/spieler_lamin-conteh.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 30 September 2013 | title = Conteh, Lamin | language = German | publisher = Kicker | access-date= 30 September 2013}}

| position = Attacking midfielder

| years1 = 1992–1995

| clubs1 = Beerschot VAC

| caps1 = 48

| goals1 = 13

| years2 = 1995–1997

| clubs2 = SV Meppen

| caps2 = 16

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 1997

| clubs3 = Boavista

| caps3 = 6

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 1997–1998

| clubs4 = Varzim

| caps4 = 14

| goals4 = 4

| years5 = 1998–2002

| clubs5 = Al Wahda

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 2002–2003

| clubs6 = Fujairah Club

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 = 2003–2006

| clubs7 = Perlis F.A.

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| years8 = 2007

| clubs8 = Pelita Jaya

| caps8 = 27

| goals8 = 5

| years9 = 2008

| clubs9 = Negeri Sembilan FA

| caps9 =

| goals9 =

| years10 = 2010–

| clubs10 = Chanthaburi F.C.

| caps10 =

| goals10 =

| years11 = 2012

| clubs11 = Perlis F.A.

| caps11 =

| goals11 =

| nationalyears1 = 1994–2002

| nationalteam1 = Sierra Leone

| nationalcaps1 = 18

| nationalgoals1 = 4

}}

Lamin Conteh (20 June 1976 – 5 May 2022),[https://footballsierraleone.net/2022/05/05/sierra-leone-football-legend-dies-after-a-short-illness/ Sierra Leone football 'legend' dies after a short illness] widely known by his nickname Junior Tumbu,{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/1166911.stm | title=Italy-based pair lead Leone Stars | publisher=BBC Sport | date=12 February 2001 | access-date=13 October 2011}} was a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He represented the Sierra Leone national team from 1994 until 2002.

Biography

Conteh was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Muslim parents from the limba ethnic group. A Muslim himself, Conteh grew up in poverty. As a teenager, he was frequently seen playing street football across Freetown with boys much older than he was. As a teenager, he was considered the best secondary school footballer in Sierra Leone. He dropped out of the Ahmmadiyya Muslim Secondary School in Freetown in 1992 to become a professional footballer.

Conteh made his international debut for Sierra Leone in 1994, at the age of seventeen.

Though a Muslim, Lamin was highly involved in the Rastafari movement and was a big fan of reggae star Bob Marley.

Conteh died in the early hours of 5 May 2022.[https://footballsierraleone.net/2022/05/05/sierra-leone-football-legend-dies-after-a-short-illness/ Sierra Leone football 'legend' dies after a short illness]

Career

At the age of 18, Conteh was selected to play for Sierra Leone in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations held in Tunisia. He was also picked in the squad for the following tournament in South Africa two years later. After a match against Nigeria in 2000, Conteh claimed that the Sierra Leone Football Association owed him $2,000, and refused to play for his country until the money was paid to him. The matter was later resolved, and in 2002, he took over the captaincy of the national team from Mohamed Kallon.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/2063575.stm | title=Kallon gives up captaincy | publisher=BBC Sport | date=24 June 2002 | accessdate=13 October 2011}}