Maccabi Tel Aviv’s youth team has succeeded, over the last years, to export some fine players to European leagues and clubs, with the primary beneficiary probably being the Swiss Super League. Moussa Konaté, Munas Dabbur and Emmanuel Mayuka are three players that traveled the path from Maccabi Tel Aviv U19 to the Swiss first league. Konaté and Dabbur who played together in Maccabi’s U19 (season 2011/12) are now two of the leading strikers in the Swiss Super League. Emmanuel Mayuka played two years earlier for BSC Young Boys and scored 20 goals.
Moussa Konaté (22), striker, FC Sion, Market value: 7.00 Mill. €
Maccabi's first signing for the 2011–12 season, playing both the first and U19 team.
After a successful season - 6 senior goals plus 3 goals with the youth team, his big breakthrough came when he excelled playing for Senegal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, scoring five goals. His performance in the summer Olympics led FC Krasnodar to sign the young striker for a fee of 2 million € after previously being linked with Premier League clubs.
After an unsuccessful time at Krasnodar and Genoa (On July 2013, Konaté joined Italian Serie A side on a season-long loan deal) he moved to FC Sion.
Munas Dabbur (23), striker, Grasshopper Club Zürich, Market value: 5.00 Mill. €.
The numbers tells the story - 40 goals and 24 assists in 72 games (all competitions).
On February 4, 2014 former Maccabi Tel Aviv’s striker moved to Grasshopper for only 300,000 € (release clause) and has been mentioned as one of the Swiss Super League’s biggest transfer coups of last year. Dabbur, with a Market value of 5 million €, is already linked with Palermo and Bundesliga clubs such as Borussia Mönchengladbach, Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV.
Emmanuel Mayuka (24), striker, FC Metz, Market value:
Mayuka joined Israeli outfit Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2008. The centre-forward had been linked to a number of big name teams before eventually settling on Maccabi. Porto were rumored to be interested, but a move to Portugal never materialized. Mayuka scored 8 goals for the youth team during 2008/09 and 14 goals on the following season.
In 2010 Mayuka signed for Young Boys of Switzerland. The former Maccabi man made his debut against FC Thun on 17th July 2010. He was close to taking Young Boys into the 2010/11 Champions League, before Tottenham overturned a 3-0 deficit. Mayuka performed well in the Europa League, netting a double against Stuttgart on 1st December 2010. He scored 10 league goals during the 2010/11 Super League season, before netting a further 9 the following campaign.
Mayuka played a key role in Zambia’s dramatic 2012 African Nations Cup Final triumph. He helped the 'Chipolopolo' out of the group stage with goals against Senegal and Libya. On 8th February 2012 Mayuka netted the winner against Ghana in the semi-final. He also scored a penalty in the winning shootout against Ivory Coast in the final.
On 28th August 2012 Mayuka signed a five year deal with Southampton for a fee believed to be in the region of €4,000,000.
Maccabi’s goal is to continue with this strategy of exporting youth players. Two of the upcoming prospects that could travel the same path from Maccabi Tel Aviv U19 to the Swiss Super League are Olanrewaju Kehinde and Mavis Tchibota.
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Could be the next prospects heading their way to the Swiss league. Tchibota & Kehinde
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Olanrewaju Kehinde (21), striker, Hapoel Kfar Saba.
Nigeria’s U23 striker joined Maccabi’s youth team in 2013 and has already played (on loan) for 3 different teams in Israel: Hakoah Ramat Gan, Hapoel Afula and Hapoel Kfar Saba. Last season was his best, scoring 29 goals for Hapoel Afula, including 20 in the Liga Leumit (Israel’s second league).
Kehinde Olanrewaju was linked to a switch to Mouscron-Péruwelz in the ongoing summer transfer market before he completed his move to Israeli Premier League newcomer Hapoel Kfar Saba.
Mavis Tchibota (19), Winger, Hapoel Kfar Saba
Congo U17, U21 player, first season as a senior footballer. Scored 13 goals last year in Maccabi’s U19 team. Exciting winger (left/right), combines speed and high technique. His weaknesses are poor stamina and over dribbling.
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