U20 World Cup: 5 African gems who stood out on the opening day | OneFootball

5 African gems who made their mark on the opening day of the U20 World Cup

Here are five African gems who made a name for themselves on the opening day of the U20 World Cup.

Gessime Yassine

The Dunkerque winger particularly impressed in the match against Spain, scoring a goal and providing an assist. This performance earned him seventh place in the tournament's best player rankings, according to statistics from the specialist site "sofascore."

Ahmed Akinyele

The central defender was Nigeria’s standout player in their narrow defeat to Norway. He holds 19th place in the U20 World Cup’s best player rankings, with a rating of 7.9 according to "sofascore."

Fouad Zahouani

The Moroccan defender also made his mark in the opening match against Spain. Tough in the tackle, the Union Touarga Sport player also shone with his attacking contributions down the left flank.

Yassir Zabiri

The FC Famalicão forward was one of the main architects of Morocco’s victory over Spain, notably scoring the opening goal to make it 1-0. Switched to a centre-forward role, Yassir Zabiri gave the Spanish defense a torrid time.

Fletcher Hani Smythe Lowe

Estoril Praia’s goalkeeper delivered a stunning performance in South Africa’s narrow 2-1 loss to France. According to sofascore statistics, he made four saves, placing him fifth among the tournament's top goalkeepers.