MLS Preview: Top 10 Must Watch Players Of African Descent - #6 Saphir Taider

Saphir Taider of Algeria controls the ball against Philipp Lahm of Germany during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Round of 16 match between Germany and Algeria at Estadio Beira-Rio on June 30, 2014 in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

(June 29, 2014 - Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images South America)

Taider is one of MLS’ top imports from Europe’s big soccer leagues. The 27-year-old arrived at Montreal Impact in the January of 2018 from Italian Serie A’s Bologna and took no time to adjust to new surroundings. By the turn of the year, Taider had started 34 competitive matches for the Canadian club, scored 8 goals and serving up 5 assists.In other words, he instantly became a crucial figure in the heart of Impact’s midfield. The Algerian international is entering his second season in the MLS and the club will be counting on the midfield maestro to run the show and help the club better their 7th place finish in the 2018 season.

Prior to joining Montreal Impact, Taider appeared for Italian clubs Sassuolo, Bologna and Inter Milan including a short stint at the English Premier League’s Southampton. His elder brother represents the country of his father’s birth,Tunisia, while Taider plays for the rivals, Algeria, the mother’s country of origin. The 27-year-old central midfielder made his international debut in 2013 and has since played 44 matches for the Desert Foxes, scoring 5 times. He helped the nation to reach the knockout stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and was also a key figure as the North African nation reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Impact teammate and midfield partner, Samuel Piette, described Saphir as a complete player.

“We can see this year he has a lot of goals and assists, so he’s participating as well offensively. He’s got a good shot. I mean he hasn’t scored a screamer so far but he’s had a couple of good shots. He’s not an individual player, he likes to make plays [to] the others. Obviously we have Nacho [Piatti]  so he looks for him. He looks for the strength of the team and tries to play on that. He doesn’t really have weaknesses, to be honest. He’s a very complete player.”

— Samuel Piette, Montreal Impact

UEFA Champions League Round Up: Matchday 2

Lionel Messi of Barcelona is tackled by Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on October 3, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 2, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

The premium club competition in Europe, UEFA Champions League is up and running. It’s only matchday two but we have seen clashes fit to be finals being played in front our eyes. Who would have thought that CSKA Moscow would beat reigning champions, Real Madrid or that Messi would show off his GOAT nature. Okay maybe, you could have guessed the latter. Here is a pick of the action that involved Africans playing in Europe.

1. (Man Utd vs Valencia) - Kondogbia and Valencia add insult to Manchester United’s injury

Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United is challenged by Geoffrey Kondogbia of Valencia during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Valencia at Old Trafford on October 2, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 1, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

The Central African Republic international was in the thick of things as Valencia and troubled United played out a goalless draw. The 25-year-old, Geoffrey Kondogbia teamed up with former Arsenal midfielder, Francis Coquelin to stuff out any potential threat from Jose Mourinho’s men coming from the midfield, winning the battle against Belgium’s Marouane Fellaini and Nemanja Matic. Had it not been for Valencia’s lack of intent and far from satisfying passes in the final third, Kondogbia and his teammates could have gotten more from the match played at Old Trafford.

2. (Porto vs Galatasaray) - Mali’s Moussa Marega steps up in the absence of Aboubakar

Porto had to battle the Turkish giants without their star forward, Cameroonian Vincent Aboubakar who will spend considerable amount of time on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery. Aboubakar’s bag of goals carried the Portuguese side to the knockout stages in the 2017/18 UCL season but 27-year-old Marega looks more than capable to fill the big shoes. His solitary goal was enough to seal off a 1-0 victory against Galatasaray, sending Porto top of Group D ahead of Bundesliga side, Schalke, who also have four points

3. (Atletico Madrid vs Club Brugge) - Ever so reliable Thomas Partey does the job again

Ghanaian midfielder has really made Atletico Madrid his home and might be on course to become a future captain and legend. He was involved in the side as Diego Simeone’s men registered a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge, taking their points tally to six, tied with group A leaders, Borussia Dortmund who brushed aside Monaco, 3-0

Mauro Emanuel Icardi of FC Internazionale celebrates his goal with his team-mate Kwadwo Asamoah (R) during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Internazionale and Tottenham Hotspur at San Siro Stadium on September 18, 2018 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 17, 2018 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

4. (Tottenham vs Barcelona) - Wanyama starts but taken off at the 57th minute

After spending a lot of time on the sidelines with injuries and also bench warming after Eric Dier became the more preferred defensive midfielder at Spurs, Kenya’s Victor Wanyama finally got to start a match, the biggest of them all. He was quite fiery in the opening stages, putting out fires and even getting yellow-carded at some point for a tactical foul on Messi but was just as guilty for Barca’s third goal as Messi leaped into the box to place the ball into the bottom corner under his watch. Dier soon came to replace the 27-year-old Kenyan for reasons best known by Pochettino. You cannot really blame anyone though for Tottenham’s 4-2 loss to Barca - they were simply outclassed.

5. (PSV vs Inter Milan) - Asamoah’s Inter record second successive UCL victory from behind

Ghanaian, Kwadwo Asamaoh was deployed once again at the left-back role as his side came from behind in Netherlands, to beat PSV 2-1. Inter Milan have now collected 6 out of 6 available points after seeing of Tottenham from behind again on matchday 1. It promises to be an interesting encounter when they meet Barcelona in their next match with both teams having bagged maximum points so far.

UEFA Champions League Matchday 2: Our African Fantasy Five

The biggest European club competition commenced last Tuesday and we witnessed some stellar performances by individuals who have been in and out of their teams since the beginning of the 2018/19 season. These soccer players will be looking to continue their form into Matchday 2. But before we pop some popcorn and get ready for the second round, let's look at the five African players that stood out in the competition last week. Here is FirstTouch’s UEFA Champions League Fantasy 5. We have one goalkeeper, one defender, two midfielders and a striker uptop in a diamond formation.

Andre Onana of Ajax reacts during the Group E match of the UEFA Champions League between Ajax and AEK Athens at Johan Cruyff Arena on September 19, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(Sept. 18, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

Andre Onana - Bayern Munich vs Ajax

We previewed the UEFA Champions League and identified Andre Onana as one of the Africans to watch out for in the competition. If you watched Ajax’s match against AEK Athens, you would understand why there is so much buzz around the youngster. The Cameroon international was at it again as he kept a clean sheet in his first outing of the UEFA Champions League tournament this season. He will surely look to maintain that and hopefully breakthrough into the conversation about the best young talents in the world.

Kwadwo Asamoah (R) of FC Internazionale is pulled by his shirt by Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between FC Internazionale and Tottenham Hotspur at San Siro Stadium on September 18, 2018 in Milan, Italy.

(Sept. 17, 2018 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

Kwadwo Asamoah - PSV Eindhoven vs Inter Milan

The versatile Ghanaian was preferred in the left back position for Inter Milan when they faced Tottenham. The defender grabbed this opportunity with both hands as he led his team to a solid 2-1 win. Asamoah and the defenders next to him had to be compact to keep out the dangers from inform striker Harry Kane and the resurged Lucas. This must have impressed Luciano Spalletti, the Inter Milan coach. He made 4 last ditch tackles in his own half before clearing the ball away from danger on 4 occasions.

Sadio Mane - Napoli vs Liverpool

The Senegalese international is ever consistent. Although he might not score goals on a regular basis, his work rate and chances he creates make up for his flaws. Mane was a constant threat to the Paris Saint Germain defenders. He completed 3 dribbles and made two key passes from the wing. You might remember him side-stepping Neymar, inarguably the overall best dribble from  matchday 1. His confidence to take on any defender means that he will always be a target for the defenders to foul him. Who doesn't need a pacy and trickery winger in their team? They can create something special from anything.

Hakim Ziyech of Ajax in action during the UEFA Champions League Play-off 1st leg match between Ajax and Dynamo Kiev held at Johan Cruyff Arena on August 22, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(Aug. 21, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

Hakim Ziyech - Bayern Munich vs Ajax

One of the most important African playmakers in the present day. The Moroccan international orchestrated Ajax’s attacks against AEK Athens. He was also hungry for goals as he made 7 shots throughout the entire course of the game. His defense splitting passes is a must have to a fan who plays fantasy football. He adds a sure attacking threat to our UEFA Champions League Fantasy 5 as he complements the attack with his knack for a goal. A playmaker like him deserves a place in our team.

Vincent Aboubakar - Porto vs Galatasaray

None of the African strikers scored a goal on Matchday 1. The Porto striker is probably the one more likely to score in the next matches purely because of the amazing record of carrying his side into the last 16 in the previous campaign. We are hopeful that the Cameroonian will pick up their scoring boots and repay our faith in his abilities to be shortlisted in FirstTouch’s Fantasy 5 side.

Porto's Cameroonian forward Vincent Aboubakar kicks the ball during their UEFA Champions League group G football match FC Porto vs Monaco at the Dragao stadium in Porto, on December 6, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MIGUEL RIOPA

(Dec. 5, 2017 - Source: AFP)

UEFA Europa League Matchday 2: Our African Fantasy Five

The second best European club competition commenced last Thursday and we witnessed some stellar performances by individuals who have been in and out of their teams since the beginning of the 2018/19 season. These soccer players will be looking to continue their form into Matchday 2. But before we pop some popcorn and get ready for the second round, let's look at the five African players that stood out in the competition last week. Here's FirstTouch’s UEFA Europa League Fantasy 5. We have one goalkeeper, one defender, two midfielders and a striker up top in a diamond formation.

Goalkeeper

It is quite unfortunate that no African goalkeeper was in action on Matchday 1. Therefore, this position will be reserved for a goalkeeper that pushes into the Starting XI of their respective clubs and prove their worth on Matchday 2.

Joseph Aidoo of Ghana shows his frustration after a Mali goal during the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 Round of 16 match between Ghana and Mali at Wellington Regional Stadium on June 10, 2015 in Wellington, New Zealand.

(June 9, 2015 - Source: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Joseph Aidoo (Centre Back) - Sarpsborg vs Genk

The Ghanaian international plays for Genk in the Belgian division. He was a starter in the UEFA Europa League match between Genk and Malmo FF. He helped his team keep a clean sheet against the Swedish giants. Who would not want to have a defender that won 4 arial duels, cleared the ball 6 times out of danger, and made 3 crucial interceptions. The 23-year old was a class above the rest on Matchday 1.

Iwobi (Left Midfield) - Qarabag FK vs Arsenal

Mesut Ozil of Arsenal (r) celebrates scoring his sides second goal with Alex Iwobi during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Watford FC at Emirates Stadium on September 29, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 28, 2018 - Source: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe

Of course, the Naija boy deserves plaudits for his man of the match performance for Arsenal against Vorskla Poltava. He provided an assist for Aubameyang to score his second goal of the season on the 32nd minute. Iwobi created chances that went bagging as his teammates failed to finish off their opponents. The young midfielder was a constant menace on the left flank and would probably have been at the very top of the Power Rankings if the Europa League had a fantasy team of the week.

Metz's Senegalese midfielder Ismaila Sarr (L) vies with Rennes' French defender Ludovic Baal during the French L1 football match Rennes against Metz on October 30, 2016 at the Roazhon park stadium in Rennes, western France. / AFP / DAMIEN MEYER

(Oct. 29, 2016 - Source: AFP)

Ismaila Sarr (Right Midfield) - Astana vs Rennes

Fantasy football is based on efficiency and results as opposed to personal affection towards individual soccer players. This warrants a place for Sarr in the team on the right. The Senegalese international scored a stunner for Stade Rennais which is goal of the season contender. He produced the goods and would definitely be in our fantasy team heading into matchday 2.

Aubameyang (Centre Forward) - Qarabag FK vs Arsenal

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's third goal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Arsenal and Vorskla Poltava at Emirates Stadium on September 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 19, 2018 - Source: Henry Browne/Getty Images Europe)

Another Arsenal player to make it to the team. Well deserved if you ask me. The Gabonese international was hungry for goals against Ukrainian side, Vorskla Poltava. He scored a brace on the night and almost scored made it three had it not been for a shot that hit the upright. We would be confident having a world class striker like Pierre Emerick Aubameyang leading the line in my UEFA Europa League team.

(Super Sub) Mbwana Samatta - Sarpsborg vs Genk

Some special mention should be reserved for the Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta who plays for Genk. The forward scored one of the goals that sealed a 2-0 victory against Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s old club. Had it not been for the Aubameyang, Samatta would be leading the line in my UEFA Europa League Fantasy 5 side. Oh maybe we could play two strikers with no goalkeeper, if that were possible.

Which Africans would make it into your Matchday 2 Europa League Fantasy Five?

Aubameyang shows enduring class but is Iwobi the winger that Arsenal needs?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal scores his team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Arsenal and Vorskla Poltava at Emirates Stadium on September 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 19, 2018 - Source: Henry Browne/Getty Images Europe)

Arsenal got off to a flying start in the 2018/19 Europa League campaign under the management of “Europa King” in Unai Emery who won the cup three consecutive times with La Liga side, Sevilla. The Gunners were in total control in the match against Ukrainian side, Vorskla that finished 4-2 at the Emirates courtesy of two goals from the Gabonese international, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, one from Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil also getting his name on the scoresheet for the second game running. It was a great team performance but two of the names that stood out were obviously Aubameyang and Nigerian international, Alex Iwobi.

The story of Arsenal’s “failed” wingers

“Iwobi neatly setup Aubameyang’s first goal in a flowing Arsenal move started by Mkhitaryan, hit a powerful shot from a few yards out of the box that curled off the post, completed two crosses and created at least four chances in only seventy minutes. He was the quickest running forward, unrelenting in tracking back the few times he had too, confident in his dribbles, taking on defenders directly and simply explosive if I were to use a single word to describe his performance.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

For a while now, the North London club has been in search of an out and out winger that has become increasingly important in Unai Emery’s philosophy, the heir apparent to Arsene Wenger’s throne. The Spaniard has introduced a high pressing game at the Emirates that hinges on having an intense attacking midfielder that runs at the opponent and forces mistakes and a pacey, similarly unrelenting midfielder in pressing the opponent who also knows how to cover the defensive full-back. This has seen Emery playing Aaron Ramsey in the number 10 role in recent matches ahead of Mesut Ozil who has been deployed on either of the wings, simply because of Aaron’s pressing style and better work-rate. The 2014 world cup winner has still managed to string through a couple of excellent performances even though being played out of his favorite position including an arguably man of the match performance at Newcastle in the Premier League match-day five. However it always looks obvious on the pitch that Mesut becomes a completely different player more he goes central leaving the wing position still with no proper takers. The Armenian captain, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has also been regularly played on the right hand side of the wings which has worked just okay but still comes up short in providing defensive cover to the right back, Hector Bellerin simply because Mkhi is simply not a natural winger. The winger problem is no secret as the club was clearly on high alert for natural flankers with the likes of Bayern’s Kingsley Coman, Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele and RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg being consistently rumored to join the Gunners in the summer transfer window.

Now, Arsenal faithfuls were mostly definitely encouraged by one of Africa’s hottest young football talents on Thursday night. Perhaps they have what they have always been looking for in the 22-year old Nigerian international.

Big 17, Running up and down the wing

Alvaro Morata of Chelsea is pressured by Alex Iwobi and Granit Xhaka of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on August 18, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Aug. 17, 2018 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

Iwobi has hardly put a foot wrong whenever he came on for Arsenal in this 2018/19 season and the story was no different in the Europa League. He got his first start under Unai Emery in the 3-2 loss to Chelsea at stamford bridge in an applaudable performance which they were unlucky not to get at least a point from. “Big 17” as he calls himself, was a constant menace on the left wing, getting the better of Chelsea Captain Cesar Azpilicueta, even creating Mkhitaryan first goal by pulling off some lovely dribbles before he crowned the performance by a goal of his own, finishing from close range after a great football move of 19 straight passes by the Gunners with no reply by the Blues. Most know what happened afterwards, the Nigerian shaku-shaku dance by the young forward told the story of his form and confidence.

Similarly, it was business as usual against Vorskla, his third start under Emery after the West Ham United appearance where he was substituted early into the second half for reasons Emery knows best as he had been quite decent. Iwobi neatly setup Aubameyang’s first goal in a flowing Arsenal move started by Mkhitaryan, hit a powerful shot from a few yards out of the box that curled off the post, completed two crosses and created at least four chances in only seventy minutes. He was the quickest running forward, unrelenting in tracking back the few times he had too, confident in his dribbles, taking on defenders directly and simply explosive if I were to use a single word to describe his performance. The Arsenal faithfuls seem to agree with me, calling him out as a man of the match by a mile. The official Arsenal twitter account couldn’t afford to ignore the Nigerian's performance offering plaudits for his excellent stats in 1 goal, 2 assists in only the three matches for the Gunners this campaign.

Emery may still be in the process of figuring out his best XI but Alex Iwobi looks like a name he will have a hard time ignoring.

African Football 101: FirstTouch’s 8 points

Introduction

Nwako Kanu, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, George Weah, Samuel Kuffor and now Mohamed Salah – these are some of the big name African footballers who have illuminated Europe’s top domestic leagues. But with so many dazzling stars over the years, what does football on the African continent really look like? Do they have leagues, transfer windows? Are there any more Sadio Mane’s that some clubs could benefit from? How do Africans and the world see their football? Well, the list of questions goes on but here is one perspective from an African.

A.It all begins with a rubbish ball

Old newspapers, plastics, string, foam rubber and a touch of fire are all the right ingredients that make a soccer ball. In the streets of Harare, kids barely five years old scan through rubbish dumps to collect materials to make their own soccer balls either because their parents cannot afford a real one or that it would smash windows when they play in the streets. That’s where stars are first made, in the tiny tarred roads separating homesteads, battling it out barefooted. Fast forward a few more years and then the kids are old enough to play in dust community football pitches or at school where they soon become town celebrities. This is largely the narrative, not only in Harare but most parts of Africa. They are not a lot of fancy football academies there.

B. Club football

Probably 1 in maybe 1000 talented footballers actually end up playing for the local clubs. Most of them are lost in the system of “get good grades to get a job,” a popular slogan of risk averse parents. But who would blame them, as most of the domestic football leagues are poorly funded and dominated not by young talent but more mature “talent” looking to fend for their families.

For those few who actually make it, there is a bit of silver lining in some leagues. For example, the South African Premier League (PSL) which is fast becoming a powerhouse. It ships players mainly from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and many other African countries because in reality, other countries seem to host better talent than them. They do have a footballing calendar closely aligned to that in Europe and transfer windows where millions of rands are spent. But for a long time, club football on the continent has been dominated by North African clubs such as Al Ahly and Zamalek.

It is in some of these football leagues, where the Mo Salahs or George Weahs are first spotted and find themselves living the dream in Europe. There is another route where affluent parents send their children to academies abroad or that the families relocate and the kids found themselves growing up in foreign countries and pursuing the dream. This is the case of Alex Iwobi, the Nigerian and Arsenal youngster who grew up in England, Delle Alli (a Nigerian adopted by English parents), Mario Balotelli and many more.

C. Internationals

Like anywhere else in the world, when nations clash, its mostly about the bragging rights. Over the years, Africa has been dominated by West Africans such as Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mali and Ivory Coast. They are known for their huge physicality while North Africans who consistently rank hire boast of some scintillating passing football, probably because they are close to countries like France and Spain. But all this is slowly changing, physical or scintillating football is coming from anywhere, it all depends on who is coaching the team especially now when most African teams employ coaches from outside the continent.

In terms of performances on global tournaments like the World Cup, because of the talent both at home and abroad, Africans should be doing more. But usually, inconsistent showings are earmarked by stories of low or non-payment of allowances and lack of insurance for players.

The nicknames of most national teams are as fierce as they come, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Super Eagles of Nigeria, Lions of Terranga (Senegal), Warriors of Zimbabwe, Lions of the Atlas (Morrocco), Desert foxes (Algeria), Copper Bullets of Zambia, the list is endless. What a powerhouse of names!