Afroto

[juanes]

Club:Al Ahly Cairo

Nationality:Egypt

Age:21

Height:1.63 m / 5.35 ft

Weight:65 kg / 143 lbs

Position:Attacking mid©

http://worldcup.mtnfootball.com/content/Afroto_Egypt_240.jpg

Afroto is an Arabic term which describes either a little genie that makes wishes come true or equally a little demon that never gives you a minute's peace. Both descriptions fit perfectly the new star of Egyptian football - Mostafa Mohamed Selim – who is known in the country as Afroto .

 

The 20 year-old attacker put in some eye-catching displays for the Egyptian national side during the under-20 World Cup on home soil back in October. Yet, he had to wait until last week to make his debut for Egyptian championship side, Al Ahly, which has suffered a recent wave of injuries. And what a debut it was!

 

The Red Devils were 1-0 down at half-time against lowly Police Union when Afroto was introduced to the game. During a magical performance, he scored the equalizer with a superb curling free-kick, earned the penalty which gave Al Ahly their second goal and scored their fourth to cap a remarkable display.

 

Just one look at Afroto shows that he is far from being the typical potential Egyptian star. The stylish playmaker is a diminutive player, yet extremely speedy and creative. His high caliber technique and unpredictable movement on the pitch have already earned him a standing ovation from the Al Ahly crowd at the end of the Police Union game - a very rare gesture by the fans for such a young player.

 

"I expected that Afroto would make such a big impact," Al Ahly coach Hossam Al Badri said after the game. "Young spirit is really needed, that's why I chose to play Afroto and Ahmed Shoukri in the second half."

 

Now, after becoming a hugely popular figure in Egyptian football following his appearances for both club and country, Afroto will have to handle the pressure. Al Ahly have recently ordered Afroto not to talk to the media to help him keep his feet on the ground.

 

The club have sensibly taken into consideration Afroto 's immature temperament as he is no stranger to controversy. Al Badri snubbed him for several months after he provoked opposing fans during a youth league game between the Cairo giants and Ittihad in November last year.

 

"The media gave me credit I do not yet deserve," the playmaker said after his debut. "I did not win the (Club) World Cup with Al Ahly or the African Champions League (with Egypt) to be praised like that. I'm a young and inexperienced player and such media exposure could affect me. I have been dreaming of this debut for a long time, so I should grasp this chance with both hands."

 

In tactical terms, Afroto is a stylish playmaker capable of producing defence-splitting passes who also feels very comfortable playing as a winger, mainly on the left flank, due to his dazzling speed and dribbling abilities. Afroto can also play as a supporting striker due to his excellent shooting ability and non-stop movement supporting the main striker. This versatility is another feature which makes Afroto a huge star in the making.

 

A host of European sides have already been rumoured to be interested in signing Afroto ahead of next season. Stuttgart and Sporting Lisbon are considered to be the most serious candidates to secure his services. Swiss sides Grasshoppers and FC St Gallen have also been mentioned, but they apparently dropped their interest as Afroto has his heart set on joining only a major European league should he move in the near future.

 

With some improvement to his fitness and decision making ability, this left-footed wizard is set to become one of Egypt's greatest stars in the coming decade and could take Europe by storm. Many in Egypt have already dubbed him 'the Egyptian Messi'. In time, Afroto has the opportunity to make good the comparison with the Argentinean superstar.