John Mousinho delivers Abu Kamara plea as Portsmouth boss sets the record straight over Hull man
John Mousinho is adamant criticism directed at Abu Kamara over not returning to Fratton Park permanently is undeserved.
And the Blues head coach has called on the Fratton faithful to give the Hull winger a Saturday homecoming which befits a ‘huge part’ of their League One title success.
The Tigers will visit the south coast on the final day of the Championship season in the knowledge that defeat would seal relegation.
That would represent a disastrous maiden campaign for Kamara, having arrived from Norwich in a £4.5m deal in August after handing in a transfer request to force a move elsewhere.
Despite Pompey retaining a keen interest in bringing the 21-year-old back, Norwich’s valuation swiftly ruled them out of the running - with no negotiations taking place.
Now, 12 months following his latest Fratton Park outing, Kamara is back with a Hull side he has represented 36 times, scoring five times.
Mousinho told The News: ‘I would like Abu to get a nice reception at the start of the game, which is befitting of a player who was a huge part of what we managed to achieve last year when we won the league.
‘Then I would like it to be a very, very hostile atmosphere for him. Not because he’s Abu Kamara, but because he’s a Hull player and on the opposition. I don’t want it to be too nice for him.
‘We were always interested, we would have taken him back if we had the opportunity. I don’t know the ins and outs, but I think the transfer fee reported was largely accurate.
‘The figures that were talked about were certainly not what we’d be able to pay, which put us way out of the running. So it wasn’t a case of Abu turning Pompey down at all.
‘He got a very, very good move to Hull off the back of what he’d done last season and fully deserved it. Although I hope he has a really poor game for our sake at the weekend.’
‘I am absolutely thrilled for him’
Kamara featured in every League One match last season as the classy Blues captured the title on a memorable evening against Barnsley in April 2024.
That tally included two goals in the final five matches, crucially arriving against title challengers Derby and Bolton, as Mousinho’s men were eventually crowned champions with a five-point advantage.
However, 12 months later, Kamara could be making a swift return to League One - with Hull.
Mousinho added: ‘I count Abu as somebody who was certainly one of our best players last season - and one of the best players that Pompey have had on loan in modern history. Over the past 15-20 years, he has to be up there.
‘Considering it was his first loan and a bit of a gamble as a fourth-choice winger, to do as well as he did last season was superb. I was absolutely thrilled for him.’
Your Next Pompey Read: Pompey boss' classy promise to relegation-threatened Hull, Luton, Derby & Co