The FIFA Under 17 World Cup took place recently where Arsenal’s Sead Hajrovic helped lead a strong Swiss side to victory against the hosts, Nigeria.
Due to popular demand, we’ve compiled a list of 10 players to watch out for in the future. The players are those who competed in the actual tournament not those who featured during the qualifying period.
5. – Luis Gil – One of the youngest players at the competition and the real inspiration behind the US’s push. Although their run was ended by a tactically better Italy, Gil, who has previously trialed with Arsenal, pulled the strings in the middle and always looked deadly. Luis is seen as a key player as the USA look to build a strong side for the future.
4. – Ramon Azeez – An all action combative midfielder, Ramon brought balance and skill to Nigeria’s midfield. Voted as the third best player of the tournament, Azeez weighed in with a goal against Korea and performances like that set Ramon up as one for the future.
3. – Sani Emmanuel – Voted player of the tournament. A surprise after only being used as a substitute but Sani’s pace, power and raw energy helped swing key games for Nigeria. Five goals from five games puts the starlet among some of the best around. Whether he can transform his form into full games is another matter.
2. Borja – The tournament’s top scorer and a typical deadly Spanish striker. Another production of Atlético Madrid’s famed Academy, Borja hit five goals in six games and claimed an assist. Uruguay, USA, UAE and Nigeria will testify how deadly the marksman is.
1. Nassim Ben Khalifa – Switzerland’s flair player. A 6ft striker who is already in the first-team at Grasshoppers although a move to one of Europe’s leading lights seem imminent. Four goals and three assists in seven games throughout the tournament saw him end up with the Adidas Silver Ball. Swiss-born but of Tunisian descent, Nassim is a real blend of African flair with Swiss technique.
Five others to watch out for –
6. Sebastian Gallegos
7. Benjamin Siegrist
8. Haris Seferovic
9. Neymar
10. Sead Hajrovic
Article By – J.Sanderson
number 10’s our very own
r u serious about sead hajrovic. from what iv seen is he was a bit part player.
No Okoro? Deary me…
Hajrovic got a red in the Germany game, but I was supporting the Swiss (half Swiss and living in Zurich) from the games I saw him in, he impressed me quite a bit, good strong tackler, good on the ball, sometime over aggressive but you need to have a bite in your game. Can do much better, but still looked a solid player.
No Damian Martinez?
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LOL only put in sead bacuse hes a gooner.
LUKE MILANZI (14 TURNING 15, MALAWI WINGER SECOND STRIKER ATTACKING MIDFIELD, EAGLE STRIKERS)
Captained Malawi, I think we should make a move for him.
We got to see only the Semis and finals here..the final was pretty good, though Nigeria should have won..I think Okoro was damn good, surprised he isn’t in this list..and yes one Swiss defender as well (forgot his name though)
And we need to sign LUCAS PIAZON, LOL b4 chelski
No Pablo Sarabia,Iker Muniain,Coutinho….Really? Iker Muniain already scoring for the first team at Atletico Bilbao. Coutinho bought buy intermilan already. Besides with the age cheating I cant take any Nigerian player seriously as a proffesional prospect.
My Top 10
For me no one was unbelievable at this tourney nevertheless still some impressive perfomance
1. Isco – mix of good technique, vision & intelligence
2. Ben Khalifa – mix of technique, height & sharp speed, would have got no.1 but he relies sometimes too much on his physicality
3. Ramon Azeez – Good interceptor of passes with skill & combination passing hopefully he will not make the wrong move when choosing potent European club like Rabiu Ibrahim
4. Sani Emmanuel – very good 1st touch, eto-like finishing & movement however has to prove it in full 90mins match
5. Luis Gil – skillful player with decent vision for the U16s player playing with U18s teammates
6. Sergio Araujo – Very skillful player with speed but a tad selfish sometimes
7. Benjamin Siegrist – good stature, good reflex, good shot stopping however he did get cover from organised back 4 & 2 DMs
8. Borja – mix of good movement & finishing with good physique
9. Sebastian Gallegos – good improvisation off-the-cuff and technique
10. Ricardo Rodriguez – good covering from diagonals passes & good jump for aerial duels
Am surprised there’s no Damian Martinez in this list…
Com’on Guyz; what happens to Arsenal Scout? If Arsenal doesn’t sign that boy wonder Ben Khalifah then I dunno what sort of scouting they are doing? oh boy, this boy is better than Ronaldinho was in Egypt ’97.
My #1 is Ozyacup. Just becouse he is our player.
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“African flair” and “Swiss technique”?
Oh enough with the patronising cliches please. African players have technique and there are Swiss players with flair.
If you dont have anything to write, better to use less words and spare us this kind of nonsense please.
Sam,
Why don’t you spare us.
I agree completely with his point. While what you say is true, I think, on the whole, the play of the Nigerians was more oriented toward flair (with the briliiant Ramon Azeez offering the technique/tenacity in the middle as balance), while that of the Swiss was predominantly contuoled technical play augmented by the flair of Ben Khalifa and Seforovic.
Isco and Okoro didn’t make your list? What’s that all about? But the player I was most impressed with was Nassim Ben Khalifa. Go! Arsene! Fetch!
Now to the “African flair” … “Swiss technique” weirdness. Are Africans celebrated for their “flair” or is it South Americans? As for “technique”? Duh? The Swiss? What? Duh? And … umm … What? Having a Swiss-German mother and having lived for years in the Suisse-Romande, let me point out that the Swiss have no discernable national characteristic … it’s the whole Swiss-German/French/Italian/Romanische thing. But if you insist on giving us “technique” … hey … “woo-hoo” as you British so quaintly put it … it’s better than being gnomish.
Sorry i am off topic, but i would want everyone here to know that as a true gooner i dont want any gooner suffer. If you have any personal problems in life be in personal , spiritual, financial, family talk to someone on fukuora at y -a -h – o- o . –c o m, he helped me with my gambling and i won. it might be your turn
no african player in the top 10…you must be kiddding
man, some real egos on this thread
david k., two nigerians there. as usual west africans, east africans unfortunately do not have proper football academy’s. MYSA are great, but otherwise you usually have to pay for academy in EA so mostly for rich kids.
Re: the Nigerian age cheating thing, I work at a University and was speaking with a jubliant Nigerian lad after they scraped qualification. I mentioned that Oba Martins looks like he’s 45, and he said that they definitely have a ‘Football age’ and a ‘Real age’.
If my memory does not fail, Emmanuel Sani should be the second Nigerian to be voted the MVP at the U-17 championship, after Philip Osondu at Canada 87. But what happened to the likes of Osondu after the tournament? To be fair to the players that participated at the just concluded tournament, Emmanuel Sani did not deserve that accolade, at least not the first position. But lets wait and see how the ten shortlisted great stars transform into greatness. Tym will tell!
Isco was my favorite player
La mere à nassim ben khalifa est aussi tunisienne, juste pour corriger!