Mikayil Ngor Faye: FC Barcelona’s new Senegalese gem by Harold Mendy
Born in Sédhiou, Senegal, on 14 July 2004, Mikayil Faye trained at Diambars, the famous academy that has produced such talents as Idrissa Gana Gueye, Badou Ndiaye or, more recently, Pape Demba Diop.
Faye is a left-footed center back measuring 1m86. He can also play as a left-back. He is technically very gifted and physically very strong. He has a very good reading of the game and puts a lot of impact into duels, which is a real ordeal for opposing forwards, whether on the ground or in the air. He’s a very confident player.
Since the age of 14, he has been outclassed and followed by numerous clubs. He made his mark at the U17 AFCON and the U17 World Cup in 2019, and despite being Senegal’s youngest player he was the best along with Pape Matar Sarr. At just 16, he was then called up to the Senegal U20 squad, even though he didn’t play.
Mikayil Faye’s precociousness is not due to chance: he was playing with the Diambars professional team in Senegal’s Ligue 1 before he was even 18.
His performances did not go unnoticed by Olympique de Marseille, Diambars’ partner club at the time. As with Bamba Dieng, OM activated its priority option in 2021 and signed Faye for the summer of 2022 when he turned 18. Unfortunately, he did not join the club from the south of France and disappeared for a while. His case put an end to the collaboration between Diambars and Olympique de Marseille.
Despite the problems encountered, the defender is training with Dinamo Zagreb, who were due to sign him. French club Stade de Reims even offered him a 5-year contract.
In the end, Mikayil Faye signed for NK Kustosija in the Croatian second division. A surprising choice for everyone, but one that paid off. He quickly impressed and established himself as one of the best players in his team and in the league. As well as playing centre-back and left-back, he also played in midfield, and unsurprisingly excelled. His good performances have not gone unnoticed, with Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Barcelona and Genk all sending scouts to Croatia for him.
Samir Toplak, his coach, is full of praise for him and does not mince his words: “I have never seen such maturity in a youngster of his age, in fact I have never seen a greater talent. I’d say he’s the best left-back in Croatia. You only have to look at the strongest players, and he’s better than anyone in his position.”
After 1140 minutes played in 14 games, with one goal and one assist, FC Barcelona were convinced to spend €5 million to sign this talent and win the race against BVB and Chelsea.
Mikayil Faye’s season stats by Wyscout:
☑️ 64 passes per 90
☑️ 88% pass accuracy
☑️ 11.4 recoveries per 90
☑️ 5.9 interceptions per 90
☑️ 3 clearances per 90
☑️ 62% of aerial duels won
☑️ 75% of defensive duels won
This diamond is now just waiting to be polished and show the full extent of his immense potential.