By Christopher Atkins
As the FIFA Under-20 World Cup gets underway the eyes of the footballing world will shift focus from Switzerland and Europe's biggest clubs to the progress in New Zealand.
The Under-20 competition is the highest level of worldwide youth competition prior to the senior World Cup itself (discounting the Olympics as an age level competition) and often the final chance for many involved to really make a name for themselves before the travails of senior football.
The competition in 2013 helped Paul Pogba gain major tournament experience ahead of travelling to Brazil last summer, while Jese Rodriguez, Juan Fernando Quintero and Geoffrey Kondogbia were also among the standout players on show. For England, in a depleted squad, a certain Harry Kane was also involved.
Not everybody goes on to achieve such success—as former Golden Ball winners Ismail Matar (2003), Dominic Adiyiah (2009) and Henrique (2011) will testify. Others such as Sergio Aguero (2007), Lionel Messi (2005) and Seydou Keita (1999), however, were considerably more successful.
Who, then, could be among the standout performers of this year's competition?
Clifford Aboagye (Ghana)
It’s two years since diminutive playmaker Aboagye took the 2013 Under-20 World Cup by storm in Turkey, winning the tournament’s Bronze Ball—third best player award—at just 18 years old.
Ghana claimed 3rd on that occasion, overcoming a difficult group to progress and reach the semi-finals. Now Udinese owned, but farmed out to Granada, Aboagye is back to spearhead their challenge once more.
In Spain, progress has been slow for the Ghanaian. A sixteen-minute cameo in the Copa del Rey is all he has managed at first-team level, but 19 outings in the Segunda B this year has at least brought him regular playing time.
Fears that his lack of progress would inhibit his development, though, were somewhat allayed at this year’s CAF Under-20 Championship. While defeated in the semi-finals by eventual champions Nigeria, Aboagye was once more at the hub of a potent Ghana attack en-route to yet another third place finish. He was named in the Team of the Tournament for his efforts
Over recent years West Africa has become famed for powerful box-to-box midfielders and has failed to produce a new generation of No 10 to take over the mantle from Jay-Jay Okocha and Abedi Pele before them. In Aboagye and Nigeria's Kelechi Iheanacho, there is hope for the future in this regard.
Rony Lopes (Portugal)
Signed by Manchester City at the age of 15 from Benfica, attacking midfielder Marcos ‘Rony’ Lopes has spent the season on loan in the north of France with Lille. There, under manager Rene Girard, he has played regularly between frequent minor injury concerns.
Now 19, Lopes has made major strides in the transition from youth team starlet to senior professional. Playing in the No. 10 role for Lille, he has failed to complete 90 minutes more often than not but shown signs of offering something a little special even at that level.
At youth international level, he is expected to be the key man game after game. While Porto’s Andre Silva may be the side’s prolific goalscorer, Lopes is the creator. He beats opponents for fun and has an eye for an exquisite pass.
Portugal finished second in the European Under-19 Championship last summer and their game centered around Lopes as the star. With Silva and pacey goalscoring wingers Ivo Rodrigues and Gelson Martins around him he has plenty of targets to bring into the game
The task for Portugal will not be easy, with Colombia and Senegal both strong contenders to advance from the group. Qatar, meanwhile, are Asian champions at their age level. Lopes should be well above the level of most opponents but will need to show that quality when it counts.
Deinner Quinones (Colombia)
Colombia’s Under-20 side is once more stacked with talent, continuing the country’s growth into a real footballing superpower over recent years and foremost amongst those starlets is lively left-winger Deinner Quinones.
That is not to say he will be the most successful long-term. Playmaker Alexis Zapata is already on the rise at Udinese, midfielder Joao Rodriguez is owned by Chelsea, while strikers Carlos Ibarguen and Rafael Santos Borre are already free-scoring at senior level and likely Europe-bound. Fellow winger Jeison Lucumi, meanwhile, also has a goalscoring touch and is currently heavily linked with Atletico Madrid.
What stands out about Quinones is the quality of his left-foot, supplying a couple of sublime assists in January’s South American Championship with delicate through balls the outside of the boot. He is also one of the side’s set-piece specialists.
Colombia will be one of the sides to beat in New Zealand and in Quinones they have a talent who could emerge one of the tournament’s breakthrough stars. He's certainly a player who will produce an impressive Youtube highlight reel!
Moses Simon (Nigeria)
However, Quinones is the type of maverick talent who could light up this tournament. A winger of blistering pace with a desire to take on and beat opponents, he is not dissimilar in style to Swansea City’s Jefferson Montero—albeit a little taller. Based in Colombia’s Primera B, he is also racking up first-team minutes.
Despite being based in Slovakia with AS Trencin until January, electric winger Moses Simon was already attracting admiring glances from some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Indeed, he only ended up with Trencin in 2013 due to the club’s close relationship with Ajax, with whom he had previously trained.
Few, though, expected the dramatic impact he made upon signing for Belgian side Genk earlier this year. With six goals in his first nine league games, his contributions helped drive the club to a first ever Jupiler Pro League title this season even if they slowed up in the playoff round.
Another who likes to cut in from the left onto his stronger right foot, Simon's speed and trickery make him a real handful for opposition full-backs to handle. His directness has unsettled plenty of experienced defenders over the past two years and it will be interesting to see how he performs against those of his own age this time around.
Nigeria are always strong in youth competition and having blown away all rivals to win Africa’s Under-20 crown earlier this year—without their Europe based players—they must be considered strong candidates to back up their Under-17 triumph of 2013 this time around.
Simon will be key to those hopes. Alongside Manchester City’s wonderfully skilled No. 10 Kelechi Iheanacho (a huge talent with a bright future), lightening fast Tottenham forward Musa Yahaya and Granada striker Isaac Success, he will form one of the tournament’s most feared attacking units.
Andrija Zivkovic (Serbia)
The youngest player ever to represent Serbia and a regular in the Partizan Belgrade first-team since the age of 17, Zivkovic is already a relative veteran before he has even reached his 19th birthday.
A left-footer generally utilised from the right, Zivkovic is just the latest off a considerable supply line at Partizan which has also produced Adem Ljajic, Aleksander Mitrovic and Lazar Markovic in recent seasons alone.
What separates Zivkovic from the pack is his low centre of gravity, drifting with the ball in the manner not-dissimilar to some of the games best dribblers. When combined with good upper body strength and an ability to beat his man on either side, it is a potent combination.
The next stage in the young talent’s development is to contribute more on the big stage. Great ability means little without results and this is his latest opportunity to lay down a real marker for the future, having thus far failed to move beyond being just a potentially world class player.
With a wealth of talent and experience, Serbia's talented side will look to their attacking star to carry them to what could be a strong tournament performance if they can play to their true potential. If Zivkovic fires, they could be real contenders for glory.
Gaston Pereiro (Uruguay)
Having broken through at club level with Uruguayan giants Nacional in 2014, Pereiro was given lead billing at January’s South American Championships on home soil. He did not disappoint, scoring five goals in his eight outings as Uruguay finished in third place.
Pereiro is not a typical playmaker. Indeed, standing at 1.88m tall the left-footer is at odds with the typical vision of squat South American No. 10s. However, there is wonderful grace and elegance to his game that comes with his upright style and posture.
Playing close to the striker, Pereiro is not only charged with linking play but also arriving late to score goals. He may not be the quickest off the mark, but has fast feet and an ability to manipulate the ball at will.
There are few players of Pereiro’s ilk in the game, with Colombia’s Gio Moreno perhaps an example of a similarly languid and stylish No. 10. Yet, all the indications are that the Uruguayan is bound for the top levels of the game. His combination of height, skill and intelligence make him a formidable opponent.
Uruguay will be eyeing a run deep into the tournament once again, having reached the final at this level in 2013, and Pereiro will be the man to whom they turn for inspiration.