Daniel Daga: Scouting Report by Nene Afadzinu
AGE: 16
HEIGHT: 5’6”
WEIGHT: N/A
FOOT: RIGHT
CLUB: DAKKADA FC
NATIONALITY: NIGERIAN
Defensive midfield disruptor. Predominantly right footed and rarely uses his left foot. Rather short for his position. Can still grow a couple of inches taller due to his age. Wiry and mobile. Strong runner with the ball.
He has a good first touch and decent ball control. Great vision and technique to pull off a wide range of passes. Gets the ball out of his feet and finds his man quickly. Constantly looking to progress the ball with his passing. Rarely takes on his man 1v1. Does not dwell on the ball. Not afraid to shoot from distance, hitting the ball with good technique.
He has played on either side of a pivot in a 4231 and as a right sided central midfielder in a 433. Sweeps up in front of his defense off the ball. Finds and exploits space when his team is in possession. Sporadically finds himself in and around the box, preferring to lay the ball off earlier to more offensive-minded teammates.
Daniel is a very good tackler, with his timing and technique of the tackle resulting in multiple successful ground duels. Has a trademark telescopic tackle in which he extends his foot to emerge with possession after anticipating the direction of the ball. Superb reading of the game and defensive positioning enables him to make multiple interceptions for his side. Likes to get tight to his man and can be overly aggressive in the duel. His height makes him a nonfactor aerially. Good physicality and is not easily shrugged off the ball. Clears away from danger in a no-nonsense fashion.
He’s composed in and out of possession. Impressively vocal for his age and has no qualms commanding his older teammates. Often makes the right decisions in possession.
PLAYER MATRIX
| TECHNICAL ABILITY | (0-10) |
| Ball Control | 7 |
| Attacking Ability | 5 |
| Defending Ability | 10 |
| Heading | 3 |
| Long Passing | 8 |
| Short Passing | 8 |
| Right-Footed Passing | 9 |
| Left-Footed Passing | 6 |
| Shooting | 5 |
| Running With The Ball | 6 |
| Attacking 1v1 | 4 |
| Tackling | 8 |
| TOTAL | 79/120 (+6) |
| TACTICAL ABILITY | (0-10) |
| Vision | 7 |
| Awareness | 10 |
| Movement Off The Ball | 7 |
| Decision Making | 8 |
| TOTAL | 32/40 (+2) |
| ATHLETIC ABILITY | (0-10) |
| Pace | 7 |
| Sharpness | 9 |
| Mobility | 8 |
| Body Strength | 7 |
| Work Rate | 7 |
| TOTAL | 38/50 (+2.5) |
| CHARACTER | (0-10) |
| Effort To Win The Ball Back | 10 |
| Bravery – Physical | 8 |
| Bravery – Mental | 8 |
| Energetic | 8 |
| Leadership | 9 |
| Talkative | 10 |
| Competitive | 9 |
| Team Player | 10 |
| TOTAL | 72/80 (+4) |
ABILITY = 221/290
= 76%
(Plus zero point five for every feature because he is considerably younger than all teammates and opponents in the videos)
REAL ABILITY = 235.5/290
= 81%
80 – 89% = Good player in a top league
Daga has the ability to be a key player for a top team in the Premier League or La Liga. In addition to making the right career moves, he needs to improve his attacking contribution and ball carrying if he is to reach his potential or even surpass it and become one of the best midfielders in the world.