Brice Lauriche Samba

Brice Lauriche Samba is a French goalkeeper born in Linzolo, Republic of the Congo. He developed with VEF Pacy and ALM Évreux before joining Le Havre’s academy in 2006. At Marseille, Samba served mainly as a substitute for Steve Mandanda and made one professional appearance in a 2014 Coupe de France victory over Reims. After a loan at Nancy, he moved permanently to Caen in 2017, where regular football helped establish him as a Ligue 1 starter. Following Caen’s 2019 relegation, he joined Nottingham Forest and became a key figure during their 2022 Championship play-off campaign, saving three penalties in the semi-final shootout against Sheffield United. He then returned to France with Lens in 2022, helping the club finish second in Ligue 1 in 2022–23 and earning the division’s goalkeeper of the year award. Samba made his France debut against Gibraltar in June 2023, having chosen to represent France over Congo. In January 2025, he joined Rennes, where the experienced goalkeeper continues his career.