Water Football Club coach, Adewale Adeniyi has recently been working with several teenagers within the age range of 10 to 14.
11-year-old Oluwashinaayomi Makanjuola is one of them. He is regarded by many to be the brightest talent currently at Water FC in that age range.
The teenager is comfortable taking on the defender, inevitably there have been comparisons with Lionel Messi.
Despite being just 11 years old, Oluwashinaayomi has joined up with Water FC’s senior team after netting 49 times in 23 appearances last year for the U14 side of the club.
He made a scoring debut for the main team of Water FC in a 22-0 friendly win over Super Stars FC on Saturday. The lad bagged a brace in a 15-minute substitute appearance.
“The boy will become a professional one day. I’m absolutely sure of that,” coach Adewale Adeniyi said.
“He’s handling everything around him in an extremely cool way. He has established himself very well so far and has been able to fit in perfectly with our team.”
Often described as an inside forward, Oluwashinaayomi is comfortable operating across the front line. It is a feature of Water that players tend to be moved around in the team to ensure they are comfortable playing in different positions.
His mastery of the ball, the quick twitch reactions and composed dribbling style make him stand out. Receiving the ball, he will often look for a slaloming run if the space opens up. Whenever he has the defender on the back foot, he is an adept finisher or possesses an excellent weight of pass.
While it is early days, he profiles as an all-round forward. Quick acceleration and strong balance make him hard to stop.
Time and increased level will no doubt expose any more that he has. Provided Water FC manage his development well, which is no given, then they could have another young star on their hands.
