Fact File
Age: 15 Height: 172 cm
Left-Footed German U19 International
Current Club: Borrusia Dortmund U19 Position: Striker
Matches played 20/21 season: 23 Goals: 34
Key skills: Deadly finishing, accurate long shooting, quick on the counter, naturally two-footed.
Background
Moukoko was born and lived in the Cameroonian capital Yaoundé until the age of 10 when his parents moved to Germany. He joined Borussia Dortmund at the age of 13 and has since been described as a child prodigy, quickly moving up the ranks within the club.
He was the only 13-year-old to play in the U17 Bundesliga and, the following year, soon after his 14th birthday, moved up to play in the U19 Bundesliga, again the youngest player in the league. On his debut at this level, he scored six goals in his first match, a 9-2 victory versus Wuppertaler SV.
He then became the youngest player to ever play in UEFA Youth League when he was fielded against Barcelona.
A naturalised German, Moukoko has played for Germany U16 at national level, although he has been used sparingly as to save him from media scrutiny at such a young age.
Prior to the 2020/21 season, the Bundesliga changed their rules regarding age restrictions, lowering the minimum age to play in the league to 16. Many have speculated that this change came about specifically to accommodate Moukoko and his place in the Dortmund team. He is currently training with the full Dortmund team and is expected to make his first team debut shortly after his 16th birthday on the 20th of November 2020.
Basis of Analysis
Since we already have a fair idea of Moukoko’s record in the U19 Bundesliga last season (34 goals in 23 matches plus various assists, basically meaning that he was involved in a goal every 30 mins he was on the pitch…incredible), we decided to concentrate on the UEFA Youth League for this analysis.
We looked at these 5 games Moukoko was involved in, downloading the videos and data from InStat:
• Derby County. Loss. 1-3. 11/02/2020
• Slavia Praga. Win. 5-1. 10/12/2019
• FC Barcelona. Win. 1-2. 27/11/2019
• Inter de Milán. Loss. 4-1. 23/10/2019
• FC Barcelona. Win. 2-1. 17/09/2019
We focussed the analysis on Moukoko’s offensive skills, so we used InStat filters, together with the custom Nacsport import, to define the parameters we were going to focus on: shots on target, getting into attacking positions and counterattacks, among others.
The first thing we did was open the Nacsport Multiple Data Matrix to review all the information we gathered and this allowed us to cross reference all the categories (in this case, the name of the player) with all the descriptors for that category.
As InStat uses the same nomenclature, we could group various concepts and saw, at a glance, that the most repeated skills in these matches were counterattacks (92 registered actions), shots (16) and goals (4).
Top speed
In youth soccer, the difference in physique between players of different ages is usually well pronounced. But this doesn’t seem to be the case with Moukoko. Not only is there no evidence of this disadvantage but, in fact, his physical condition stands out above that of his rivals.
This is especially noticeable when it comes to his top speed, which is such that he is more than capable of leaving opponents eating his dust over the course of a few metres. This can easily be evidenced in the game against Inter.
Moukoko scored his team’s only goal in the 4-1 loss against the boys from Milan. After a series of one-twos, Moukoko attacked the free space with great ease, entering the Italian area and beating the keeper with a huge drive to the inside of the post.
A Cannonball Shot
Once again, Moukoko’s phsyique is the envy of players much older than himself. Despite the fact that he hasn’t even reached the age of 16, he can easily rival players three years his senior.
InStat highlights his powerful shooting ability in their Key Skills section and this is something that becomes apparent even at the first glance of the young Cameroonian. Not only does he have power in both his feet (though being naturally left-footed, this is the side he tends to favour) but he isn’t scared to take a shot at goal from distance.
In one of his most productive matches in the UEFA Youth League, playing against Slavia Praha, Moukoko scored a scorching goal from outside the 18-yard box. Full control, a quick look up and…bang, top-left corner of the Czech goal. Simply stunning!
A Lethal Counter
His speed, combined with the offensive style of his team, is precisely why he is so deadly on the counterattack. Moukoko seems to have the enviable ability of mounting a counter from anywhere on the field, both individual and whilst connecting well with his teammates.
Conclusion
Youssafa Moukoko is a player with enormous potential. He has all the ingredients to become one of world’s greats.
However, it should be noted that a large part of his success is currently based on his physicality, especially his speed and his capability to hit the ball hard. Time will tell if he can compliment these skills with a measured and mature approach to the game.
For now, I’m sure Dortmund are backing him for success.
This report has been created by combining data from InStat and Nacsport video analysis software. If you are interested in the power of sports video analysis, why not download a completely FREE no obligation Nacsport trial today?
