Top European Clubs Parade African Youngsters In 2023 Preseason Tour

Top European Clubs Parade African Youngsters In 2023 Preseason Tour

By Gbenga Gboyega

As the 2023 summer window continues to thrill fans with transfer gists and updates, elite clubs in Europe have engaged in pre-season tours, with the likes of England's Chelsea, Dutch side Ajax, OGC Nice in France, and KAA Gent in Belgium, to mention but a few clubs parading their African youngsters alongside.

BSNSports.com.ng brings you these young African prospects making waves at the moment, as the start of the 2023-24 football calendar draws closer.

Gift Orban (Nigeria, KAA Gent)

The 21-year-old Nigerian professional footballer who plies his trade with the Belgian Jupiler Pro Club - Koninklijke Atletiek Associatie Gent (KAA Gent), is considered one of the brightest youngsters in World football given his speed, strength, and physical finishing.

While on a pre-season tour in the Netherlands, Gift Orban featured for Gent in a club friendly against Croatia's Lokomotiva Zagreb as the Belgian side lost 2 goals to one.

However, Gift recovered his goalscoring prowess in the Europa Conference League qualifying series against Slovakia's Zilina, opening the score in the 23rd minute to incite an eventual 5-1 thumping to kick-start the 2023-24 campaign.

Gift managed 22 goal contributions (20 goals, 2 assists) in 22 appearances for Gent last season, while setting a European record for the fastest hat-trick (3 minutes) in the Europa Conference League group game against Turkish side Basaksehir FK, and now has 1 goal in 1 game for 2023-24.

Terem Moffi (Nigeria, OGC Nice) 

Nigerian forward - Terem Moffi, starred for 45+1 minutes in a 2-1 preseason loss to Lausanne while on tour in Switzerland, before featuring for an hour in the second game against French side Montpellier which his team won 1-0.

Earlier this year, Moffi was sent on a half-season loan from FC Lorient to Nice in January before making the move permanent in the summer for €22.5 million, after managing 21 goals and 3 assists from 38 games in all competitions within 6 months last season.

The 24-year-old Nigerian striker who was born in Calabar, Cross River State also drew admiration from his country coach - Jose Peseiro, who featured him a couple of times in the Nigeria national team as Moffi is poised to feature in another preseason game against Sporting Braga of Portugal tomorrow (Saturday). 

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana, Ajax Amsterdam) 

Ghanaian international, Mohammed Kudus joined the Dutch family three years ago for a fee of €9 million, only to become an attacking midfield, right-wing, center-forward sensation across the board for his club and country. 

With the Dutch side currently on tour, from their home turf through to Belgium, and now Germany, Kudus has scored two goals and provided an assist in two games featuring predominantly from the right flank of the attack. 

Last season, 22-year-old Kudus garnered 18 goals and 7 assists from 42 games, starring 17 times from the right wing, 16 times as center forward, and 9 times from the attacking midfield role.

With five years on the professional stage, Kudus' growth from Rise to Dream Academy in Ghana, through to FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, and eventually Ajax in Amsterdam, Netherlands, has been nothing short of tremendous.

Nicolas Jackson (Senegal, Chelsea)

Born in Banjul, The Gambia 22 years ago, Nicolas Jackson has stolen the limelight in Chelsea's preseason tour at a time the English outfit is starved of striking prowess and presence. 

Nicolas, who chose to represent Senegal on the international stage despite his dua;-citizenship, went to school at Casa Sports de Ziguinchor on home soil (Senegal), before traveling to Spain to join Villarreal's youth team in September 2019, then CD Mirandés in a season-long loan deal between 2020 and 2021.

The bright young African has drawn praise from his current team's head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the team's preseason tour in the United States of America where Jackson has accrued 5 goal contributions (2 goals, 3 assists) in three games. 

"For a player like Jackson, who arrives from La Liga, to compete against a team like Newcastle, who will play in the Champions League, is so important," Pochettino said.

"I think he has shown his quality and talent: he is good in front of the goal, very relaxed when he has the chance. 

"He has shown that in the games. And I am happy because a striker needs to score to build confidence and trust." 

While waxing lyrical about Senegal's bright forward, Pochettino was quick to state areas of improvement going into the new campaign. 

"He still needs to improve in his physical condition; it’s only the beginning of pre-season. He arrived late and and didn’t start with us from the beginning."