Upon first sight of the fresh-faced Amara Diouf, it would be difficult to guess that you are looking at a natural-born winner. However, when in conversation with the talented captain of Senegal’s U-17 national team, he really starts to come out of his shell. Aged just 15 years old, with a smile on his face and trainers on his feet, he lacks neither character nor ambition. Above all, he’s got one main dream: to achieve big things for Senegal in every competition possible.

It’s clear that Amara Diouf lives and breathes football. He was fortunate to be guided towards the sport by his father, Ady, a former player turned football director. “He’s my rock and my mentor, everything I am able to achieve in the game is thanks to him,” says the teenager.