Zeki Amdouni
July 17, 2023
Who is Zeki Amdouni?
It’s been a whirlwind 2023 so far for Zeki Amdouni. After just two league goals in six months for FC Basel following his arrival from Lausanne last summer, he caught fire after the turn of the year.
While his return of ten goals in his last 19 league games was solid, it was his performances in their UEFA Conference League run that really caught the eye.
- Date of birth: 04/12/2000
- Country: Switzerland
- Position: Versatile forward
- Height: 1.85 metres
- Preferred foot: Right
He scored seven times in Basel’s last seven games in the competition, including a 93rd minute equaliser away to Slovan Bratislava as well as a 92nd minute winner away to Fiorentina as Basel got to the semi-finals.
His form has carried into the international scene too, scoring five times in his first five matches for Switzerland, while also performing well in the 2023 Under-21 Euros.
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Zeki Amdouni's style of play
Amdouni is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing forward prospects outside of Europe’s top five leagues. There’s good reason for that: it’s largely because of the volume of goals that he has been scoring, but it’s also because of the versatility of his game.
The 22-year-old has spent a lot of time playing off the wing, and has some decent tools to play there too. He’s a deceptively good dribbler and ball-carrier that explodes out of congestion with a quick burst of speed. He’s strong on both feet as well, meaning he feels comfortable driving outside or cutting inside, bringing some nice variety to his attacking profile.
But it does seem a waste to chuck a player with Amdouni’s skillset out on the wing when he can bring so much in central areas as a goal scorer, while also being able to tuck inside or into the channels to vary his game as a striker instead.
While he lacks for a little bit of the explosiveness of some of the game’s current elite crop of strikers, Amdouni really has no weaknesses in his athletic profile. He’s listed at 6’1”; he’s rugged in his hold-up play both with his back to a defender or side-by-side as a ball carrier; he’s more than quick enough to be a threat in behind, and he competes well in the air.
Of all those things, it’s the ability to hold off defenders that really makes him dangerous picking up the ball anywhere in final third. When he gets the ball in these areas, he does not hesitate to get his head down and put defenders under pressure, while also looking for team-mates to combine with for little one-twos that can set him off into space.
What are Zeki Amdouni's strengths?
Zeki Amdouni is a multi-dimensional forward that has the capabilities to lead the line, play off either wing, or support play from deeper areas. He’s an attacker that can impact the game as a scorer, dribbler and a creator.
What are Zeki Amdouni's weaknesses?
Ball retention is an aspect that Zeki Amdouni needs to improve upon as he scales up the levels; he cn be careless at times. He also lacks the explosiveness of the elite level attackers.
