Fast, lively and now clinical in front of goal, Yankuba Minteh has progressed at breakneck speed this season with Feyenorod. His latest performance against Ajax naturally makes the young Gambian this weekend's African MVP.
In 2022-2023, Yankuba Minteh showed the beginnings of a mad talent. This season, the Gambian nugget confirms that his left foot has something to thrill. And this weekend, it was Ajax who paid the price. Feyenoord beat Ajacids 6-0 on Sunday 07 April in the clash of the 29th day of the Eredivisie. The Gambian shone with a brace and an assist. At 19 years and 260 days old, he became the youngest player in history to score a goal and an assist in this fixture. An ideal weekend for a player whose qualities are destined to embody the future of African soccer.
Fast and lively, Yankuba Minteh is also on the rise. The numbers bear witness to this.This season, the Gambian prodigy has 10 goals and 4 assists in 29 games, including 17 starts. A quality which has contributed greatly to his club's2nd place (69 pts), in the running for a place in the Champions League. Last season, the year of his revelation at Odense in Denmark, he scored "just" 4 goals and provided 6 assists in 17 games.Which just goes to show that he has made lightning progress in record time.And given that he was eagerly awaited at the time of his signing, his rapid adaptation to a top-flight club is all the more remarkable.
Nevertheless, Feyenoord won't be enjoying Yankuba Minteh for much longer. The winger is only on loan from Newcastle. The Magpies, who bought him for 8 million euros in the summer of 2023, must be licking their lips at the thought of counting on such a talent. After buying him, the Magpies feared that the transition from Denmark to England would be too abrupt. With this Dutch interlude behind him, he can now set about turning English defences upside down next season.
The Gambian international (4 caps, 1 goal) has demonstrated his ability to adapt.
Many players with speed like him have had problems combining it with efficiency.According to his coach, Yankuba Minteh has managed to strike just the right balance."Yankuba Minteh has played a lot in his native country, where very few tactics are developed. If you're that quick, it's a huge weapon.One move and he's gone, so you won't catch him again. I think his choices are already improving in the final phase. The problem for us is that if his choices become really good, he probably won't play for us anymore ".
To get another idea of Yankuba Minteh's grip on power, you need to look at his figures in detail. Before his departure for the AFCON 2023, the left-hander totalled 4 goals and 1 assist. Since then, he has racked up 6 goals and 3 assists. Above all, over the last 7 Eredivisie games, he has broken all records with 6 goals and 2 assists. Runners-up at the last AFCON U20, Gambia have a promising new generation, notably Bojang (Reims). His combination with Minteh could well make for an interesting duo for years to come.
When asked about his future, Yankuba Minteh was somewhat hesitant." If there's an opportunity to stay another season with Feyenoord, I'll take it, because it's a fantastic club," he began. He then spoke about the club to which he belongs, Newcastle." I'll soon know what the club's plans are for me. I'm still young, I've got time, maybe they'll want to loan me out again.I only know that one day I'll be playing in the Premier League. "While waiting to see what tomorrow will bring, Minteh is doing what he does best today: running, dribbling, scoring and giving pleasure on the pitch.After all, that's what's expected of him, isn't it?
Yankuba Minteh vs Ajax pic.twitter.com/VILP4p76uB
— ً (@HaroldMndy) April 7, 2024
