1. Early life
Bayo was born on 4 June 1998 in Clermont-Ferrand, France, to Guinean parents. At the age of six, he joined the youth academy of his hometown club, Clermont Foot.
2. Club career
Mohamed Bayo's professional club career began with his development at Clermont Foot, leading to significant achievements with the club and subsequent transfers to top-tier teams in France and Belgium.
2.1. Youth and early professional career
Bayo progressed through the youth ranks of Clermont Foot. On 11 November 2017, he made his first-team debut as a substitute in a Coupe de France match against Moulins Yzeure Foot 03 Auvergne. Later that month, on 28 November 2017, he signed his first professional contract, a two-and-a-half-year deal with Clermont Foot. However, he struggled to secure a regular starting spot after his debut.
In January 2019, Bayo was loaned from Clermont to Dunkerque for the remainder of the 2018-19 season, as Dunkerque competed in the Championnat National. On 25 June 2019, his loan spell at Dunkerque was extended for the entire 2019-20 season. During the 2019-20 season, he made 24 league appearances and scored 12 goals for Dunkerque.
2.2. Clermont Foot
Upon returning to Clermont Foot for the 2020-21 season, Bayo played a pivotal role in helping his hometown club achieve promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in their history. He finished the season as the top scorer in Ligue 2 with 22 goals.
In the subsequent 2021-22 season, his first in Ligue 1, Bayo continued his impressive form by scoring 14 goals. His goal-scoring ability was instrumental in Clermont Foot securing their survival in the top flight.
2.3. Lille OSC
On 13 July 2022, Bayo completed a transfer to Ligue 1 side Lille, signing a five-year contract. The transfer fee for his move to Lille was 14.00 M EUR. During the 2022-23 season, he made 27 league appearances for Lille, scoring 4 goals. In the 2024-25 season, he played in 11 league matches, scoring 2 goals, and also made 4 appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
2.4. Loan spells
From the 2023-24 season, Bayo was loaned to Le Havre for the 2023-24 season. He made 23 league appearances for Le Havre, scoring 5 goals, and also played in one Coupe de France match.
On 3 February 2025, Bayo moved on loan to Belgian Pro League club Antwerp in Belgium until the end of the season.
3. International career
Mohamed Bayo holds both French and Guinean nationalities. He committed to representing the Guinea national team in March 2021, after his impressive performances with Clermont Foot.
He made his senior international debut for Guinea on 24 March 2021, in a 1-0 victory over Mali during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.
On 20 December 2021, he was included in the 27-player squad selected by coach Kaba Diawara for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He was again selected for the national team, being named in the 25-player squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on 23 December 2023.
4. Personal life
In October 2021, Mohamed Bayo was taken into police custody in France following a hit-and-run incident that occurred after a traffic accident.
5. Career statistics
5.1. Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
| Club | Season | League | Coupe de France | Coupe de la Ligue | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Clermont | 2017-18 | Ligue 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018-19 | Ligue 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2020-21 | Ligue 2 | 38 | 22 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 22 | |||
| 2021-22 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 14 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 14 | |||
| Total | 75 | 36 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | 80 | 37 | |||
| Dunkerque (loan) | 2018-19 | Championnat National | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2019-20 | Championnat National | 24 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | 26 | 14 | ||
| Total | 34 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | 36 | 16 | |||
| Lille | 2022-23 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 30 | 5 | ||
| 2024-25 | Ligue 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 2 | |||
| Total | 38 | 6 | 3 | 1 | - | 4 | 0 | 45 | 7 | |||
| Le Havre (loan) | 2023-24 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 170 | 61 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 185 | 65 | ||
5.2. International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea | 2021 | 5 | 2 |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 4 | |
| Total | 30 | 8 | |
Scores and results list Guinea's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bayo goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 2021 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco | 3 | Sudan | 1-0 | 1-1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 9 October 2021 | Stade Adrar, Agadir, Morocco | 4 | Sudan | 2-1 | 2-2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 6 January 2022 | Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, Rwanda | 7 | Rwanda | 1-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 24 March 2023 | Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca, Morocco | 14 | Ethiopia | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 5 | 15 January 2024 | Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast | 20 | Cameroon | 1-0 | 1-1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 6 | 28 January 2024 | Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 23 | Equatorial Guinea | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 7 | 2 February 2024 | Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 24 | DR Congo | 1-0 | 1-3 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 8 | 10 September 2024 | Charles Konan Banny Stadium, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast | 28 | Tanzania | 1-0 | 1-2 | 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
6. Honours
6.1. Individual
- Ligue 2 top scorer: 2020-21 (22 goals)
- UNFP Ligue 2 Team of the Year: 2020-21
- UNFP Ligue 2 Player of the Month: February 2021