GCC nations tend to pay truckloads of money to keep their players away from scouts scouring the Middle East, in their bid to discover yet another reluctant footballing gem. Yasser Al-Qahtani, Bader Al-Mutawa and now Omar Abdulrahman are all players famed in the Arab World but have never taken the next step or will never make that defining decision. Akram Afif is of a different mould, brought up in a generation of change for the miniature Gulf nation: Qatar.

Born to a Tanzanian father and a Yemeni mother, Afif was one of the stars of the Aspire Academy opened in 2004 to help develop young Qatari athletes. Amongst the buildings and pitches of the academy are Spanish coaches, whom have been pivotal to the gradual rise of Qatari football. Felix Sanchez recently coached the Qatar U-23 National Team to a 4^th place spot at the U-23 Asian Cup, meanwhile the next generation will be lucky enough to be watched over by the man himself, Xavi. Spain, indeed, is the destination of Akram Afif’s next stop.

With his skills honed at Al-Sadd, before being sent out on loan to Belgian First Division side Eupen alongside Ahmed Moein Doonzadeh and Fahad Al-Abdulrahman, many Arabic football fans with a close eye on the movement of Qatari footballers wondered whether it was merely a marketing ploy or an actual development plan. Moein returned to El-Jaish mid-way through the 2015/16 season to help them in their Asian Champions League battles, but Al-Abdulrahman and Afif saw out Eupen’s season helping them qualify to the Jupiler Pro League on the final day.

Afif’s season was topped off by coming 2^nd in the Best Arab youngster in the Belgian First League, before a tumultuous 24 hours saw his move to Villareal announced sending shockwaves through Arab Twitter – especially in Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. The latter have both produced a group of players worthy of playing abroad but the money has been too powerful. Reports have even come out that Afif’s contract is only worth 10% of a top-tier local player in Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.

#AfifSigns

Moving 

Akram Afif is no stranger to Villareal, having spent half of 2014 amongst their youth ranks as a loanee in his second stint abroad; the first one being with fellow Spanish side Sevilla’s Juvenil side. But it wasn’t until late 2014 where Afif earned the plaudits, when he scored the winner against North Korea in the final to help Qatar to their maiden AFC U-19 title signaling a period of optimism for the gulf state’s youth ranks in the near future.

Afif sealed yet another European move months later, with a loan deal to Belgian First Division side KAS Eupen his next destination. He impressed upon his arrival, bagging an important goal on his debut and creating more than two for his teammates against Racing Mechelen in a 5-1 drubbing all in the space of the month. The attacking midfielder scored one more goal before the end of the season, although Eupen failed to earn promotion with a loss in the promotion play-offs.

Akram Afif with Eupen

Afif’s U-20 World Cup appearance over the summer, a tournament where he was arguably Qatar’s best player alongside former Eupen midfielder Ahmad Moein, added yet another landmark to his CV. From Qatar to Spain, through Belgium and all the way to Myanmar before setting off to New Zealand for the U-20 World Cup. All of this for a Qatari player yet to hit the age of 19. Akram Afif, truly an anomaly.

Despite his achievements abroad, it was only in late 2015 when Afif ultimately emerged on the Middle Eastern footballing scenery to wow the “Khaleeji” crowds and warrant a spot in the Qatari National Team. We’ve summarized as to why he may be a unique gem from the Middle East, but what makes this player so special on the pitch?

Position 

Akram Afif can operate anywhere across attacking midfield adeptly but he’s usually found on the left hand side where he can cut inside and create play. Playing under a Spanish coach for most of his national team career, which doesn’t surprise you when it comes to his role as a form of a wide playmaker.

Afif is nimble and creative; he also possesses a great level of acceleration to get ahead of opposition full backs. His ability to position himself in between the lines allows him to draw the full back away from the flank and subsequently the near centre back which in turn opens up space behind the defensive line.

The player has a range of abilities that would be aided by a position on the flanks rather than centrally. A playmaker he is, but his well-rounded skillset suits the modern day winger role on a greater level.

Strengths

Akram Afif’s strengths lie in his technical and offensive attributes as previously mentioned. His ability to pitch in with goals likens him to recent Manchester City Nolito. The Qatari youngster, like Nolito, is more than just one-dimensional. He’s not merely a creator from a deeper wide position, but he can take on players with relative ease. Moreover, his off the ball movement is almost equally as good with his capabilities of running behind the defence and beating the offside line key to his multi-skilled type of play.

Afif’s play certainly needs polishing, but the raw talent has been on show for years in various tournaments across Europe, Asia and Oceania. He really is anything but the archetypal Middle Eastern winger whose main aim is to beat the defender, reach the byline and cross. In fact, Afif’s crossing is relatively rare. If anything, he plays low ones into the box which are strategically and statistically more beneficial for his team and the receiving player.

The changes in body movement is something that won’t catch the eye of Middle Eastern scouts who often solely look for a player’s influence in the final third. Whether it’s his head, his hands, his hips or his feet, Akram Afif beats defenders utilizing changes in his body movement. It’s a sneaky move used by the lad to draw defenders’ attention to one way before slipping an outside of the foot or backheel pass to an onrushing player on the edge of the box. Which means we’re moving on to his creative abilities.

7 assists at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in 6 games is no mean feat. More than an efficient created chance per game, Afif once again proved that he may as well be in the top bracket of youngsters to come out of the region and that is a rarity for a GCC player – especially before the likes of Omar Abdulrahman were produced. Even so, Omar Abdulrahman never took the step to ply his trade in Europe as Afif is doing now.

His assists weren’t of the same type either. Set-pieces, through balls, combination play and lobbed passes were amongst the different forms of assists that Afif set up for his teammates. The versatility he possesses is second to none in Qatar and maybe across the region, coupled with the quality and experience he has.

On the mental side, Afif is also pioneering for players back home. He often takes all set-pieces for Qatar’s youth teams – free-kicks, corners and penalties – alongside Abdelkarim Hassan (probably the only Qatari player on or near the level of Akram Afif). His penalty taking is an exemplar of his confidence with his stance, style of shooting, facial and body expressions all indicators of his belief in himself. Moreover, as mentioned in the beginning of this article, Afif is unlike many other GCC players. He’s not just taken the chance to play in Europe at such a young age but he has built the start of his career based on it.

Weaknesses

If there’s one thing that needs improvement, it is probably the character of the player. Although confident and cheerful on and off the pitch, Afif had a tendency to show off when he was younger. His performances may not necessarily be selfish but the way he conduced himself on the pitch showed exactly why he was pipped to the captaincy by Ahmed Moein. That aspect has slightly improved ever since his introduction to the Qatari senior national team.

On one hand, playing in Europe is always more beneficial than playing in the Middle East. But on the other hand, having little top flight experience is a potential disadvantage. The jump in quality from Eupen to Villarreal is something else completely. Superpowers Barcelona and Real Madrid are teams that Afif could possibly earn the chance to play against. There is a high chance he will be sent out on loan due to his lack of top-flight experience – but could time off the bench also be beneficial for him? Let’s see what head coach Marcelino has to think.

Afif in Villareal colours

Villarreal have one of the better defensive and compact shapes in European football and the only time Afif has really been tested in a compact, restricted shape is during those moments of retreat in Qatar’s shape.

While Afif does score goals, he could score much more if he polished his final touch. Afif’s movement is sometimes too complex to the extent that both him and his direct opponent will fall to the ground, not allowing him to finish off his moves often. At a higher level that could be read easily in turn seeing him end a season with only a couple of goals to his name.

What do others think? 

Qatari football expert and Ahdaaf writer Ahmed Hashim said the following about Afif’s first outing in a Villarreall shirt: “Having watched parts of both friendly appearances earlier this week, I’d say that he looks confident; with a look on his face that says: Bring it on. I saw how his blistering pace could wreak havoc among defenders in Spain when he latched on to the ball in his own half and sped ahead against Nastic de Tarragona. Leaving the last defender in his wake, he was only stopped by a tackle from behind that saw the defender get sent off. It was an inkling of what Akram could offer.

“That said, I have yet to see if he features in the manager’s plans. There are rumours that he could be sent on loan. I hope not.”

Sandals4Goalpost and Ahdaaf writer Tom Danicek: “I’d say what fills me with optimism regarding Akram Afif’s stint in LaLiga is not only his super-quick thinking and creative mind, but perhaps above all the fact he hasn’t been pampered the way other Middle Eastern stars such as both Abdulrahmans have. He has no history of receiving fat paychecks, he’s got proper footballing education provided – among others – by Spanish coaches, and has even picked up a bit of the language. Also, he’s naturally cheeky, can receive as well as distribute “punches”, and while his constant arguing with referees needs to be eradicated, this is for me another aspect of his assertiveness that should help him flourish in a more competitive environment.”

Conclusion

We’re hoping Akram Afif stays at Villarreal and racking up some time off the bench and earn his way up the substitutes bench. Are we finally going to see the beginning of Qatari football having an effect on European football, on a consistent basis?

Touted to be the replacement of revered World Cup winner Christoph Kramer – who had returned to Bayer Leverkusen after a loan stint at The Foals – he is currently being embedded into the Gladbach team with increasing minutes as he accumulates substitute appearances during the late phases of Bundesliga games.

11 minutes of playing time in a 4-0 loss against Dortmund, and double those as he tried to help BMG turn the score around against Werder Bremen; whom they lost 2-1 to.

We are talking about Mahmoud Dahoud, the relatively unknown Syrian-German player who looks set to take his chance on arguably the biggest stage in world football. The Bundesliga, and luckily enough for him: the UEFA Champions League.

Moving

Yaser Kasim, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Youssef Mohammad. What do all of these players have in common? They are all from the Middle East, playing outside of the Middle East followed passionately by their respective countries’ faithful, no matter where they ply their trade in footballing terms.

Even in a regional sense, as Syrians watch the Iraqi, Saudi and Jordanian leagues to follow their heroes (an excess of 30 Syrian players located in those leagues) and countrymen. So how is it that Mahmoud Dahoud is relatively unknown to the Syrian and Arabic fan base, until around a couple of weeks ago?

Born in Amuda – on New Years in 1996 – based in the city of Qamishli in Syria, Dahoud and a few family members migrated to Germany pre-2010. He played at clubs such as Germania Reusrath and Fortuna Dusseldorf before impressing on a trial at Borussia Monchengladbach.

After making his debut at the age of 17 in front of the vociferous chanting at the Borussia-Park, Dahoud expressed his happiness to the club’s official website: “The situation to me was like a dream, if not better. I’ve always looked forward to playing at the Borussia-Park”, before claiming that “I expected to do this a lot later, but achieving it at the age of 17 is something else.”

Mahmoud Dahoud – The Ins and Outs of the Footballer

There is a gulf in quality between the age-specific leagues and top tier leagues in Germany, as spaces, undeveloped mindsets and less emphasis on the strategically oriented phases will be found in the leagues.

Therefore, Dahoud will have faced opposition on a lower level with the main emphasis in that area being development as opposed to the top leagues where Dahoud will not be left to enjoy himself.

This was evident in the way he operated at a couple of the youth games I watched him play in and the Europa League drubbing of Sarajevo as opposed to his minutes in the Bundesliga at the current time.

Sure, we have to take into account that coming into games 2-1 and 4-0 down will see a different way of operation from the player and the manager due to them being placed in game-specific situations. That is why we will look to combine his traits from the age-specific and top tier leagues to give a fair analysis on the player.

Positioning

Mahmoud Dahoud, at 176cm, possesses a slight figure compared to his central midfield partners Havard Nordtveit (188cm), Granit Xhaka (185cm) and Christoph Kramer (190cm). However that doesn’t stop him from doing his job on the pitch, and his intelligence on the pitch is nothing short of superb. Let’s look at how Dahoud positions himself in Lucien Favre’s 4-4-2:

Dahoud at left central midfield in all the Bundesliga games he has played in.

Moving on from his basic positioning, Dahoud is adept at receiving the ball in space. Before looking at how he receives and uses the ball, we will look at how he positions himself to get to the ball in a good zone with access to players and support.

Stindl (13) receives the ball however he takes a touch that directs him to a zone filled with space surrounded by Dortmund players, and the winger on the right is seen dragging the full back away. Stindl’s poor touch doesn’t allow himself to drive into space but we see Dahoud positioning himself in between 3 players to receive, turn and release (more on this later).

Stindl returns, passes it back to the defence and we see Dahoud reading the game in a couple of seconds to position himself in between the Dortmund players thus once again providing an outlet for his teammates.

Not often do you see teenagers supporting senior teammates under pressure with such composure, but Dahoud exemplifies it. One thing to note here is how Dahoud looks left to check for any incoming players – bottom picture – (a study on this specific move done by players and how it is a big plus to their ability to complete tasks in a tactical sense with ease: http://www.sloansportsconference.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-hidden-foundation-of-field-vision-in-English-Premier-LeagueEPL-soccer-players.pdf) 

Dahoud once again finds the space to penetrate Werder Bremen’s 4-4-1-1, which is in the deeper half space. Look at what he does next:

Xhaka drops deep to receive the ball however he is being man marked by the Werder Bremen attacking midfielder, which, like a domino effect, sees Dahoud slip into the space that is now free.

The way that Dahoud directs the play to one side and can predict the phase of play is magnificent at such a young age.

Confidence, Leadership and Awareness

Mahmoud Dahoud’s first challenge of the season was the Signal Iduna Park in the opening week. On the end of a 4-0 drubbing by BVB, Dahoud had to face 81,000 fans on a disastrous night for his team. Yet Dahoud didn’t look fazed in any sense, looking to assert himself on the Bundesliga fields.

He never looked off his game, always ready for the challenge ahead. What is also impressive about Dahoud is his tendency to guide his teammates by pointing towards areas of space / areas to pass to, or even to watch an incoming player executing a third man run that Dahoud’s teammates cannot see at that time.

Look at how many times he looks away to check and examine the space around him.

Dahoud is also capable of completing attacks and moving alongside his teammates seamlessly, as he showed that impressively against Werder Bremen.

Technical Ability

Dahoud is calm, composed and fine on the ball. He rarely, if ever, looks to play a direct or long ball into attack (not indicating that he isn’t capable of doing so, because he is). A fine, ground pass is always his aim once releasing the ball into his teammates. A reliable horizontal pass or nifty work by exploiting diagonal and vertical zones in attack is also another aspect that Dahoud excels at. Constantin Eckner of Spielverlagerung waxes lyrical about his passing ability: “Dahoud has great passing skills; he can deliver any sort of passes (short, long, diagonal, fast & vertical etc.)”

The commentator on Fox Plus Soccer also claimed a very interesting opinion that agrees with the report on Dahoud: “Dahoud; who seems to be finding more space than his teammates today such as Havard Nordveidt”. (Following videos for clarification: Mahmoud Dahoud is #8)

These images show how Dahoud is not limited to horizontal passes to his teammates on same lines of play as he can look for the penetrative pass; and complete it easily.

The way the Syrian-born midfielder receives, turns and moves with the ball is a trait invaluable to the modern day football game and at under pressure, he showed that he could escape it with his slick movement. This can be coupled up with the next chapter; movement.

Movement

Alongside his ability to pass the ball, Dahoud also excels at receiving it. There have been cases where a player’s body position is poor, and while being able to receive the ball he is not able to move in tandem with his positioning to easily turn and/or release.

It’s his nifty, smart and elegant movement that helps him work in these situations alongside his technical ability on the ball. Constantin Eckner agrees: “his movement is smooth and elegant, so that he can outplay opposing players in tight/dangerous zones easily”.

Shooting

A feature not found in his Bundesliga career yet, but Dahoud did score good goals from range with his runs from deep during his age-specific team days. How he will be able to adapt to the surroundings of the Bundesliga game through his usual style of play will be interesting to see as Favre uses him in central midfield; a more conservative role if we look at it on a deeper level.

His ability to combine with players and shoot was a great feature of his early days, however his current role sees him use less of his dribbling and shooting skills, as opposed to movement, awareness and passing.

Weaknesses

Physical stature – Constantin Eckner puts it perfectly: “there is only one weak spot – his physicality; he is a relatively small and thin guy, so maybe he should build up some muscles to “survive” hard duels in midfield – but not much muscle mass, so that he is able to maintain his smooth movement”. 

Conclusion

With news on Dahoud choosing Germany as his preferred nation, it is yet to be seen how he can aid the Syrian football game. Anyone in his place, getting games for a top Bundesliga side, would strive for Germany’s senior national team. Yet the current Syrian dream is to see Dahoud pair up behind Omar Al-Soma, a distant dream from now by the looks of it.

Until he does represent Germany at senior level, he will continue to be classified as a #MiddleEasternerAbroad by the Ahdaaf team. We wish good luck to a very promising player and hope to cover him in as much detail as part of our Middle Easterners Abroad series.