In a football world filled with countless stars of today, so many of us are curious about who is waiting in the wings. That search for that next wunderkind; a youngster who has the potential to make us stand up and marvel at how they are masters of their craft despite their tender age, is always on the minds of millions of fans around the world.
With this in mind, we at 101 Great Goals continue our weekly series that takes a look at U21 players across the world during the 2022-23 season. Some of them you will have no doubt heard of, while we hope to bring you a few new names to spark your curiosities every now and then.
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Fact File
- Name: Yassine Khalifi
- Age: 17
- Position: Center Midfield
- Place of Birth: Morocco
- Citizenship: Morocco
- National team caps: 16 (U20)
- Current club: Union Touarga Sportif
- Current Market Value (per Transfermarkt): N/A
- Potential suitor(s): N/A (moved to Union Touarga Sportif in September of 2022)
Background and Insight
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has gone down as one of the most entertaining and story-driven tournaments in history, and for good reason.
Between Lionel Messi finally putting to rest the ghost of Diego Maradona, countless upset results, and a general level of play that did so well to capture the imagination of millions – if not billions – despite the contentious nature surrounding the host nation, Qatar was a massive success from a sporting perspective. One such storyline that dominated the winter tournament was none other than Morocco’s magical run under now-beloved manager Walid Regragui which saw The Atlas Lions become the first African nation to ever reach the semi-finals at a World Cup while standing toe-to-toe with Croatia, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal before losing to France.
Such success at the tournament was the culmination of Moroccan players progressing at home and abroad at an impressive rate over the last 5-6 years, while the RMFF (Royal Moroccan Football Federation) has made a concerted effort – along with considerable investment – to focus on player development through academies like the vaunted Mohammed VI Football Academy.
National team stars Youssef En-Nesyri, Nayef Aguerd, and Azzedine Ounahi are just a handful of the academy’s alumni body, with the expectation that many will follow in their footsteps in the coming years; one such player looks to be 17-year-old midfielder Yassine Khalifi.
Positive display from #MAR🇲🇦 U20 against a team full of senior professionals, only conceding from set-pieces. Most players (2004) a year younger than #ENG🏴 (2003).
Elias Kurt (03) and Yassine Khalifi (05) stood out in midfield. Wing-backs Lantaki (04) and Hilali (03) solid. pic.twitter.com/qK0AKYonLT
— Benjamin Hajji (@BenjaHajji) September 25, 2022
A technical midfielder that boasts efficient press resistance and an equal adeptness at picking an incisive pass to split the defense, Khalifi is sure to draw comparisons with the aforementioned Azzedine Ounahi who emerged as one of the breakout stars in Qatar.
Most impressively, Khalifi was one of only four African players to be included in the latest annual NextGen list from The Guardian published back in September. According to analyst Maher Mezahi, “Incremental progress with youth national teams is of paramount importance for now, but long-term progress can only come with a smart transfer to the right club.”
In historical context, Moroccan players have traditionally been introduced to the European football landscape through moves to France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium, offering a continuation of player development in some of the top locations anywhere around the globe.
Still just 17 and only recently jumping from the academy to top-flight side Touarga, there is plenty of time for Khalifi to make incremental gains in his development trajectory, but if the promise already shown at a youth international level well ahead of his age is anything to go by, Morocco could well have another star on their hands come the next World Cup.
