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Name: Jules Christ Kouassi Eboue (Kouassi Eboue)

DOB/Age: 13/12/1997 – 18 years old

Club: FC Krasnodar

Position: Central Midfield

Nationality: Ivory Coast

Career to Date

When news was announced that Krasnodar had signed Kouassi Eboue, most people didn’t even notice. Those who did, had to double take. This was an 18 year old Ivorian popping up in southern Russia, who no one had ever heard of. Even the internet provided little to no help in discovering who this teenager was and where he had come from. Krasnodar’s announcement said he would settle into the reserve squad. That was where most people stopped paying attention.

However in April, Eboue made Krasnodar’s first team squad for the first time for a cup semi final again CSKA Moscow. He wouldn’t play, but it was the start of seven straight games at the tail end of the 2015/2016 season where he was included in the squad. It wasn’t until the final day of the season against Amkar Perm that he got his debut, however, as he started and played the full 90 minutes at the base of their midfield trio in a 1-0 win.

The 2016/2017 season has seen him push on with aplomb, starting regularly in both the Premier League as well as the Europe League, marking his first start of the season – at home to Maltese side Birkirkara – with his first goal for the club in a 3-1 victory. He was on the bench a couple of times near the start of the season, but his impressive European displays cemented his place in the team for the league after the early September international break, and he’s barely moved from it since.

He did however, attract some unwanted attention in early November following a sending off against FC Orenburg. Eboue was caught by the referee swinging an elbow while tussling for space as he prepared to defend a free kick. There was contact and it was a red, but it wasn’t malicious with intent. Upon the red card being produced, Eboue threw what can only be described as a tantrum, as he fell to floor in shock, before punching the ground and protesting to referee. Team-mate Andreas Granqvist stepped in and pushed his young team mate away, ordering him off the field. As Eboue walked off, the camera followed him, and he was clearly distraught, and was seen crying before holding his head in his hands as he left the pitch.

Strengths

It is remarkable that at 18 years old, Eboue has such a wide range of abilities, and is already quite a complete midfielder. Playing deep, he has a similar style to Alex Song during his time at Arsenal, as he is perfectly capable of sitting and defending, but is actually more adventurous, and will dribble with the ball out of defence, with aspects of flair to his game. His range of passing is excellent and well suited to Krasnodar’s counter attacking set up, while his reading of the game means he can put in his fair share of interceptions and tackles.

When required to play higher up the pitch rather than at the base of the midfield, his work rate is good, and that paid dividends, as he charged down the Birkirkara defence to score his first senior goal in the Europa League, deflecting a clearance straight into the empty net.

Weaknesses

While the range of abilities for his age is really quite astounding, it is that factor – his age – which does hold him back also. As a youngster, he lacks a cool head at times, and as observed in the clip above, can have a short fuse in some situations. Other than that, a sheer lack of experience is a factor which may put off potential suitors. Eboue has only been playing senior football for less than a year, and while during that time he has RPL and Europa League experience against some very tough clubs, including German giants Schalke 04, less than 20 senior appearances is still very low.

What’s Next?

To date, Eboue has yet to be linked with a transfer away from the club, after all, he’s barely known inside Russia, let alone outside, however if he keeps his place in Krasnodar’s side, then continued league and European football is a huge platform for young talents to develop themselves. So if he and his Krasnodar team-mates can continue qualifying for Europe’s best competitions, it would not be surprise for him to eventually attract interest. On a personal level, he will also be hoping to impress the Ivory Coast national team coaches with the hope of making his debut for the senior side. He was recently called up to the squad for the first time, but did not come off the bench to feature as Ivory Coast drew with Morocco and France.