Nigeria Players Abroad
New England Revolution coach showers encomium on Nigeria star Alhassan Yusuf
By Saheed Afolabi
New England Revolution head coach Pablo Moreira has heaped praise on Nigerian midfielder Alhassan Yusuf for his impressive performances since joining the club from Royal Antwerp.
Moreira is confident that Yusuf still has plenty of defining moments ahead for the club in the MLS.
The coach described the holding midfielder as a vital “engine” who embodies the qualities of modern football, praising his physicality and work rate.
“You don’t sneak into the Nigerian National Team without having a superhuman power, and that’s his. He’s got an engine that he can go,” Moreira said, highlighting Yusuf’s aggression and ability to win aerial duels despite being “a little undersized.”
Moreira believes Yusuf is only scratching the surface of his potential. “He’s just got an engine that he can go, and like you saw, he’s aggressive, he’s connecting all his passes,” he added.
Moreira was particularly impressed by Yusuf’s performance in a match against Barcelona, where he believes the Nigerian was the standout player.
“If anyone has any questions about Yusuf, there’s a game that we all saw—it was against Barcelona, and to me, he was man of the match,” Moreira said, expressing his belief that Yusuf is destined to reach the top of his game soon.
