Youssoufa Moukoko becomes the youngest player in the Bundesliga



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A day after his 16th birthday, Moukoko replaced Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s clash with Hertha Berlin, becoming the youngest player to play a professional match in Germany.
The Cameroon-born German replaced Erling Haaland, 20, with just over five minutes remaining in Dortmund’s 5-2 win.

Moukoko broke the previous record of former Dortmund player Nuri Sahin after making his debut at 16 years, 11 months and one day with Dortmund against Wolfsburg in August 2006. New Bundesliga rules allow players to play from the day in turning 16 years old.

Haaland, left, and Moukoko embrace after the end of the match against Hertha Berlin.

Moukoko, who has played regularly in older age groups, has impressed his teammates since joining first team training, and Haaland, who scored four goals against Hertha Berlin, called him “the greatest talent in the world” after Saturday’s game.

“I would love to play alongside him,” said Haaland, who recently won the 2020 Golden Boy award for best under-21 player playing in the top division of a European country.

“I think he is the greatest talent in the world at the moment. He is 16 years and one day old, that’s incredible. He has a great career ahead of him. We are lucky to have him.”

Moukoko could also become the youngest player in the Champions League on November 24 if he faces Club Brugge. That record is currently held by Céléstine Babayaro, who was 16 years and 87 days old when she played for Anderlecht in a group stage match during the 1994/1995 season.

He has been prolific for youth teams in Dortmund, scoring 141 goals in 88 youth games, including 13 in just four appearances for the club’s under-19 squad this season.

Having seen his now-teammates on TV before, or playing like them in FIFA video games at Dortmund’s youth facilities, lining up alongside players like Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland was a surprise.

“The first time I arrived I made a video because I will never live another day like this,” Moukoko told Borussia Dortmund TV. “I could say, ‘Now I’m with the first team,’ and it was a completely new feeling.

Moukoko turns the ball against Hertha Berlin.

“It was amazing. I went home and still couldn’t understand it. I was so happy in training, but then I understood that it was what I had worked for. I’m here now and I need to.” do the best you can. “

Dortmund manager Lucien Favre praised Moukoko for his hard work in the short time he had with the first team.

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“He has trained with us for 14 days. Seven or eight players were out on international service. It was 5-2 and it was good for him to play his first Bundesliga game, but of course he has to keep working”, Favre saying ESPN after the game.

“He is very, very young. We have a lot of attacking players, many who have not played today.”



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