Portsmouth boss pinpoints tantalising signs that Fratton Park favourite is roaring back to his best
The popular winger is now five games into his second Fratton Park spell after joining from Hull last month
John Mousinho believes ‘patience’ is still required, nonetheless he’s convinced Abu Kamara is gradually recapturing the form which can devastate Championship defences.
The returning Blues favourite came agonisingly close to scoring on Saturday, when he struck the bar with a fierce left-footed effort following a dazzling run past three Cardiff players.
Certainly the approach deserved to be his first Pompey goal since April 2024 in a 1-1 draw at Burton during the League One title-winning season.
Still, five games into Kamara’s second Fratton Park spell and there remains plenty to be encouraged about, having struggled for his best at Hull and Getafe during the previous two years.
And Mousinho has already recognised welcome signs that the 23-year-old is in the process of rediscovering his spark.
‘He’s had a year out, basically’
He told The News: ‘I think Abu’s growing and getting towards his best. We've seen that in spells.
‘I thought he was very, very good against Lincoln, where he created two goals, and we also saw a bit of that against Bristol City and Derby.
‘There are probably times where we're just a little bit too reliant on giving the ball to Abu and him making things happen. I know he can do that, but we probably need a little bit more around him as well.
‘He's had a year out, basically. He made one league start for Getafe, with 12 appearances altogether, so he's effectively had a year out. It's not as easy as just slotting straight back in.
‘Obviously he was here a couple of years ago and we've now gone up a level, but we know he's every inch a Championship player when he gets going.
‘We have to be patient with Abu. In the same week we've asked him to do 90 minutes against Bristol City, 90 minutes against Derby on Tuesday, and 90 against Cardiff.’
Five goals in two years since leaving Portsmouth in 2024
Kamara made 40 appearances, of which 26 were league starts, during his maiden season with Hull in 2024-25, scoring five goals in the process.
He was then loaned to Spanish side Getafe last season, helping them finish seventh in La Liga, earning them a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifiers.
However, with just one start in 12 league appearances, it represented another disappointing season for the ex-Norwich man, who is striving to rediscover that form demonstrated in his first Fratton Park stint.
Mousinho added: ‘I don’t think he’s lost confidence and there may be patches when you have seen that.
‘I hope Abs has got that confidence back because we've got the confidence in him, we've got the belief in him, and I'm going to keep going, telling him to take his full-back on, telling him to be positive.
‘If you've got a player who has lost confidence, you don't see the sort of skill level, desire and hunger that he showed against Cardiff.’