The inaugural U15 World Cup in Azerbaijan showcased a group of African prospects, with Senegal’s Abdoulaye Diallo leading the way after scoring 23 goals in 10 matches.
The Salam Academie Foot forward was not the only player to make an impression in Baku. From Algeria, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Ghana, five other teenagers emerged as players to watch.
Abdelkarim Meharzi – Algeria
Abdelkarim Meharzi finished the tournament with 14 goals in 10 appearances. The Olympique Akbou striker, Algeria’s captain and number 10, scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Argentina.
He also struck twice against Suriname, scored four times against Taiwan and completed a hat-trick against Kenya in a 4-3 play-off defeat.
Although the Fennecs ended the competition in 28th place, Meharzi, who was coached by Karim Ziani, enhanced his reputation as one of the promising players in the Algerian league.
Said Noufii – Morocco
Morocco finished 13th, with Said Noufii making a significant contribution in attack.
The CF Benguerir forward scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 win against Liberia, having already netted twice against both Belize, in a 6-0 victory, and Curacao, in a 7-0 success.
He added two more goals against Cameroon in a 4-1 victory during the first knockout round, underlining his consistency in front of goal and providing one of the highlights of Morocco’s campaign.
Randy Ngome – Cameroon
Cameroon captain Randy Ngome ended the tournament with three goals and nine assists.
The Best Stars Limbe midfielder scored against Senegal in a 3-0 win and against Bahrain in a 2-0 victory, but it was his vision, technical ability and chance creation that attracted most attention.
Ngome had already been named best U14 player at the 2023 Limbe International Tournament and best U16 player in 2025, confirming the promise he had shown over several years.
Berte Cheick Hamed Tidiane – Cote d’Ivoire
Berte Cheick Hamed Tidiane, who came through the FC San Pedro academy, is another player representing Cote d’Ivoire’s emerging generation.
He had featured for the Ivorian U16 side at the International Dream Cup in Japan in June before joining the squad for the U15 World Cup.
The midfielder was part of a powerful start by the Elephanteaux, who scored 22 goals without conceding in their opening three matches against Rwanda (5-0), the Turks and Caicos Islands (6-0) and Vanuatu (11-0).
His progress is particularly notable given FC San Pedro’s focus on youth development, which has become a central part of the club’s growth.
Shamsudeen Sulemana – Ghana
Ghana’s seventh-place finish owed much to Shamsudeen Sulemana, who scored four times in a 5-2 win over Mexico to help his side reach the quarter-finals.
The forward also scored against Myanmar and Kazakhstan, and twice against the Bahamas.
Sulemana had already been the leading scorer in the national U15 championship run under FIFA’s talent development programme in 2024. He was named the competition’s best player in 2025 and was given a trial opportunity at Milan AC that year.
These performances provide valuable international exposure, although physical development and the eventual move to senior 11-a-side football mean progress at this age remains difficult to predict.
