Fifth graft for Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano towards the 2025/26 season: Fatoumatta Sillah is yellow-blue, after an extraordinary life and career path she will wear the yellow-blue jersey number 23 in the next 2025/26 season. 186cm of explosiveness and energy, she has great skills in attack and service and is a player in great technical growth who arrives on the Italian stage for an important step in her career.
Born on November 15, 2002 in Gambia, in a small country in West Africa, Fatoumatta grew up with two sisters, her mother and father. “Nenneh” (her nickname) like many children in her country, took her first steps in football, but soon became acquainted with volleyball, not very practiced in her homeland, and began playing only at the age of 16 in the school team. Thanks to an international cooperation project, the young prodigy with remarkable physical qualities was discovered through an Italian coach who worked in Slovenia from Gen-I Volley Nova Gorica, landing in Europe as an immature talent at the age of 17.
A truly unique path that of the new Pantera, who has also found his nationality in Slovenia from a volleyball point of view. Her very rapid growth led her to establish herself in the Slovenian championship also with Calcit Volley, the reference team in Slovenia, where she was stationed for two years, before making the leap to Vasas Obuda, superpower of the Hungarian championship. Fatoumatta won the national championship last season, also reaching the semifinals of the CEV Cup.
In the second European cup, Sillah collected 182 points in 10 games, putting 10 blocks and 4 aces in a series. With Slovienia, on the other hand, she came close to participating in the Golden League Final Four by finishing with her national team in fifth place, but she stood out by scoring 35 points in 2 games, with 69% positive reception. “Nenneh” will be the first Slovenian player in the history of Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano, but Italy is in her destiny, given that in the national team she responds to the orders of coach Alessandro Orefice.
STATEMENTS FATTOUMATTA SILLAH
“I am really excited and motivated to arrive in Conegliano! I can’t wait to learn from my new teammates and keep improving my game. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of this incredible team.
I’ve heard that Imoco is like a big volleyball family, and I’m really happy to be able to become a new member of this family. It is the ideal environment to grow both as an athlete and as a person. I can’t wait to meet all the girls, they are extraordinary players, with a lot of experience, and I hope to be able to learn a lot from each of them. It’s an honor to be able to train and play alongside them. Last season was really special: winning the Hungarian championship was an incredible achievement for us, reaching the semi-finals of the CEV Cup was another great success for the club.
Competing at the highest level against some of the best teams in Europe has pushed me to give my best and to grow a lot both technically and mentally, I have gained a lot of experience and self-confidence. Representing Slovenia means everything to me. I am very motivated to give energy and contribution to help the national team reach new goals.
Now I feel ready and excited for this new step with Prosecco DOC. Playing at the highest level, especially with a team recognized as one of the best in the world, is a great responsibility but also an incredible opportunity for personal, technical and professional growth.
As a player, I always put my heart and energy on the court; I love to play, train, and give my best in every game and in every training. As a person, off the pitch I’m quite quiet, sociable, personable and… a little shy! Volleyball is a very important part of my life, but I also try to have fun and enjoy my free moments.
I already know a few words of Italian, I started studying it online to arrive with a few words in my luggage for my first experience in Conegliano. I can’t wait to meet all the fans at the Palaverde, I know there is a crazy atmosphere and a lot of passion, it will be nice to play for them.”
(PHOTO: cev volleyball)