Mikayil Faye: Wants to achieve breakthrough in Europe through cooperation with Marseille
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On Apr. 15, 2019 Senegal faced Marocco at the Chimazi Stadium in Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania) as part of the U17 Africa Cup. For the Lionceaux de la Teranga, it was the first game under head coach Malick Daf. And on the day of his debut, the head coach experimented. The now 53-year-old started left-back Mikayil Ngor Faye—the talent was only 14 years, nine months, and one day old.
Even if the continental championship was unsuccessful (Senegal was eliminated during the group stage), Faye managed to make a name for himself. The 186 cm tall left-footed left-back has been a regular starter and at the U17 World Cup in the fall of 2019 was one of the architects of Senegal’s success. Senegal conceded just three goals during the group stage and beat both the USA and the Netherlands, just to be eliminated by Spain in the round of 16 (1-2).
The success gave Faye confidence to succeed as he started the next step of his young career at the Saly-based Diambars-Institute, a cooperation partner of Olympique Marseille. The Ligue 1 club has the first refusal on any talent produced by the academy. “It is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but Mikayil’s profile is similar to Sergio Ramos during the early days of his career,” journalist Chérif Sadio, an expert for Senegalese football, said to Transfermarkt.fr. “When you look at his abilities, there are certainly similarities on the technical and tactical level. He is young but has good technique and is two-footed. There is steel in his tackles, and he anticipates well, he has the ability to destroy opponents’ attacks. He is strong on the ground but also in the air, especially when you consider his height and his flexibility at a young age.”
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That Kluiverth Aguilar would move to Europe was already certain last year. Signed by Manchester City, the right-back is currently under contract at Lommel SK, which also is part of the City Group.
For Xavi Simons the last season was a mixed back. First close to the first team, the talented attacking midfielder has been ignored by Mauricio Pochettino and is currently considering a transfer to another club.
Mexiko, Canada or England: For now Marcelo Flores the talented midfielder has opted for Mexico’s U20 but it is expected that Flores will await a final decision as Canada remains in the mix to secure the services of the 18-year-old.
Hannibal Mejbri is the third player in the calendar to switch national teams. Previously with France, the Man United talent has since made the switch to Tunisia.
Not surprising Caden Clark will join RB Leipzig this winter. This year the 18-year-old played his first full season with New York Red Bulls with whom he was eliminated in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
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Yusuf Demir has fulfilled his wish and joined FC Barcelona where he has already made his debut for the first team.
Considering his age, Faye still has plenty of room to improve, particularly when it comes to his technical and tactical abilities. “It is normal for a young player to be a bit raw in his decision-making,” Sadio said. “But playing time helps improve concentration and feel less under pressure and become more mature. I am certain that he will have a big impact over the coming years.”
After several years at the Diambars-Institute, Faye has to ask himself whether it is time to take the next step in his career and leave his academy club. Last September, several sources suggested that he is one of the names that could make the path from Diambars to Canebière, Olympique Marseille’s training facility. But the consensus was that one has to be patient. “Right now, there is no indication that he will become an Olympique Marseille player next season,” Sadio said. “Nothing is signed, and there is no agreement between the three parties. But if he manages to follow Bamba Dieng’s path, who also made the jump from the cooperation partner to OM, then the French football world will see a defender with huge potential.”
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Sadio believes that Faye is among the young Senegalese players who will not need an in-between step to shine at one of the big leagues. Among those ready to make the next step is also Faye’s partner in defense, El Bachir Ngom. In the past, Bamba Dieng (Olympique Marseille), Pape Sarr (FC Metz/Tottenham), Dion Lopy (Stade Reims), Formose Mendy (Amiens SC), Youssouph Badji (Stade Brest/FC Brügge) and Aliou Balde (Feyenoord) managed to make the jump to Europe. “They are all young players that took no time in Europe to show that they are promising talents,” Sadio said. “The education in Senegal doesn’t need to hide from Europe.”
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The only downside? Faye did not make the squad for the first two games of Senegal’s Ligue 1, and that trend will likely continue against Guediawaye FC this weekend. Perhaps it is a measure to protect the 17-year-old and get him ready for a transfer to Europe? “It is difficult to say; neither Diambars nor Faye have said anything about it,” Sadio said. “But the boy is ready to become a big footballer, one of the best in his position.”
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2004. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
