FIFA 18 wonderkids: All the best African players to sign in Career Mode

With the standard of African football improving year on year, big clubs are now starting to look at the talent coming through from the continent. Mohamed Salah, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o have shown that Africans can compete with the world’s best, meaning that if you are looking to sign young talent on FIFA 18 Career Mode, you must look to see what Africa has on offer.

What is a wonderkid?

We are looking at the best African wonderkids on FIFA 18’s Career Mode. All of these player are aged 23 and below, and have the potential to reach at least 83 on the game. Players can outgrow their potentials on Career Mode, but only if they are in a rich vein of form for an extended period of time. Just because these players are young it does not mean they will come cheap as you are paying for their outstanding potentials. We have compiled our top 10 by looking at player age, potential and stats.

Keita Balde Diao (OVR 82 – POT 90)

Age: 22

Positions: LW, ST

Club: AS Monaco

Country: Senegal

Work rate: High/Low

Best attributes: 93 acceleration, 92 sprint speed, 89 ball control

Cost: £60.1 million (release clause)

Wage: £40,000 a week

Part of the Monaco squad overhaul in the summer, Keita Balde Diao is now in a position to kick on with his career. The left winger or striker made the £26 million move from Lazio after bagging 16 goals in Italy last season. He has taken some time to adjust to life in Ligue 1, with three goals and three assists in 17 games so far, but expect this to improve as the new look side gels.

The 22-year-old Senegalese international will set you back a massive £60.1 million, but that will get you his 82 overall and 90 potential. 93 acceleration, 92 sprint speed and 89 ball control are Diao’s best attributes, and you will need wages of at least £40,000 a week to get hold of him. You will need to wait until January however as he has only just made the move to the French champions.

Eric Bailly (OVR 84 – POT 89)

Age: 23

Positions: CB

Club: Manchester United

Country: Ivory Coast

Work rate: Medium/High

Best attributes: 87 aggression, 85 standing tackle, 85 sliding tackle

Cost: £60.1 million (release clause)

Wage: £132,000 a week

Manchester United have tried a lot of centre half pairings over the past couple of seasons, but since Eric Bailly joined the club in 2016, he has become their first-choice centre back. The Ivorian international holds great pace, strength and positioning, making him one of the best defenders in the Premier League. We shall now see if he has the minerals to become one of the best in the world.

The 23-year-old has an 84 overall rating on FIFA 18, which can rise to a superb potential of 89. You will need £60.1 million to get hold of Bailly however, with his wages at a massive £132,000 a week. 87 aggression, 85 standing tackle and 85 sliding tackle make the United rock a tough man to beat. 

Naby Keita (OVR 83 – POT 88)

Age: 22

Positions: CM, CDM, CAM

Club: RB Leipzig

Country: Guinea

Work rate: High/Medium

Best attributes: 90 agility, 90 balance, 88 short passing

Cost: £53.1 million (release clause)

Wage: £60,000 a week

Central, defensive or attacking midfielder Naby Keita may be on his way to Liverpool at the end of the season, but you can still sign the RB Leipzig man on FIFA 18. The Guinea international was the heartbeat of the side that challenged for the Bundesliga in their first season in the division, and with his dynamism, he looks to be a perfect fit for the Premier League.

The 22-year-old offers 90 agility, 90 balance and 88 short passing on the game, giving him an overall of 83 with the potential to hit 88. Keita will set you back £53.1 million and wages of £60,000 a week. 

Amadou Diawara (OVR 77 – POT 87)

Age: 19

Positions: CDM, CM

Club: Napoli

Country: Guinea

Work rate: Medium/High

Best attributes: 84 stamina, 82 short passing, 82 aggression

Cost: £20.1 million (release clause)

Wage: £26,000 a week

Partnering Keita in the Guinea midfield is Amadou Diawara. The defensive or central midfielder emerged as a regular for Napoli last season, a fantastic feat considering he is just 19. You feel Diawara is set for a fantastic career, and it could be off to a great start if Napoli can win a first Serie A title since 1990.

You will need just £20.1 million talented midfielder, with wages of only £26,000 a week. 84 stamina, 82 short passing and 82 aggression give him an overall of 77, which can rise to an 87 potential.  

Franck Kessie (OVR 77 – POT 87)

Age: 20

Positions: CM, CDM

Club: AC Milan (on loan from Atalanta)

Country: Ivory Coast

Work rate: High/High

Best attributes: 88 stamina, 84 strength, 80 aggression

Cost: n/a

Wage: £21,000 a week

It’s been a strange career for central or defensive midfielder Franck Kessie so far. After just ten games in Ligue 1 for Stella Club, he made the switch to Serie A side Atalanta, but was loaned out to second division side Cesena. After one season back at his parent club, he has been loaned to AC Milan, it what seems to be a ‘try before you buy’ deal. The Ivorian international has slotted straight into the Milan side, playing 24 times this season already.

Aged just 20, Kessie offers 88 stamina, 84 strength and 80 aggression, giving him an overall rating of 77. With a superb potential of 87, you will need at least £20 million to get hold of him, with wages of £21,000 a week. With him currently on a two-year loan, you will need to wait until the summer of 2019 to sign him.

Amath Ndiaye Diedhiou (OVR 74 – POT 87)

Age: 20

Positions: ST, LM, CAM

Club: Getafe

Country: Senegal

Work rate: High/High

Best attributes: 90 acceleration, 90 sprint speed, 87 agility

Cost: £27.3 million (release clause)

Wage: £17,000 a week

A player you may not have heard of his Getafe forward Amath Ndiaye Diedhiou. The striker or left and attacking midfielder has joined the club from Atletico Madrid, but spent last season out on loan at Segunda Division side Tenerife. The 20-year-old netted 12 goals as the Canarians just missed out promotion to La Liga, but he has become a regular in the top flight with his new club, playing 17 games this season.

The speedster Ndiaye Diedhiou will cost you £27.3 million and wages of £17,000 a week, but you will need to hold fire until January. That price will get you his 74 overall and 87 potential, with his best attributes 90 acceleration, 90 sprint speed and 87 agility. 

Onyinye Ndidi (OVR 78 – POT 86)

Age: 20

Positions: CDM, CM

Club: Leicester City

Country: Nigeria

Work rate: Medium/High

Best attributes: 88 stamina, 84 standing tackle, 81 jumping

Cost: £24.9 million (release clause)

Wage: £42,000 a week

Leicester City have struggled since losing N’Golo Kante (OVR 88) to Chelsea two seasons ago, but in the form of Onyinye ‘Wilfred’ Ndidi they look to have found someone to fill the void. The defensive or central midfielder offers a little more going forward than Kante, notching some cracking goals last season, and assisting three times this year.

The 20-year-old Ndidi has 88 stamina, 84 standing tackle and 81 jumping on FIFA 18, with a crucial high defensive work rate. Those stats help make up his 78 overall, which can rise to an 86 potential. The Nigerian’s release clause stands at £24.9 million, with his wages at £42,000 a week. 

Henry Onyekuru (OVR 76 – POT 86)

Age: 20

Positions: LM

Club: Anderlecht (on loan from Everton)

Country: Nigeria

Work rate: High/High

Best attributes: 91 agility, 90 acceleration, 88 sprint speed

Cost: n/a

Wage: £67,000 a week

Everton fans should look forward to Henry Onyekuru linking up with their squad next season, with the 20-year-old lighting up the Belgian Pro League for the past two campaigns. The Nigerian is currently on loan at Anderlecht, where he has nine goals this season, and his pace is perhaps what Everton are missing this year.

91 agility, 90 acceleration and 88 sprint speed aid Onyekuru’s 76 overall, with an outstanding potential of 86. You are looking at a price of around £20 million when he returns from loan next season, with wages of £67,000 a week.

Kelechi Iheanacho (OVR 75 – POT 86)

Age: 20

Positions: ST

Club: Leicester City

Country: Nigeria

Work rate: High/Medium

Best attributes: 84 acceleration, 84 sprint speed, 79 positioning

Cost: £21.3 million (release clause)

Wage: £44,000 a week

Another Nigerian, Kelechi Iheanacho has struggled since switching Manchester City for Leicester. The striker had a great conversion rate at Man City, but with a £25 million transfer fee to live up to, he has scored just scored just once for the Foxes. At the age of 20 he still has time, and perhaps just a couple of goals will cause him to get his confidence back.

Iheanacho’s 75 overall and 86 potential will set you back £21.3 million with wages of £44,000 a week, but you will need to hold off until January 2018. With attributes of 84 acceleration, 84 sprint speed and 79 positioning, the Super Eagles man is a great option if you want a forward to get in behind. 

Krepin Diatta (OVR 67 – POT 86)

Age: 18

Positions: CF, ST, LM

Club: Sarpsborg

Country: Senegal

Work rate: High/Medium

Best attributes: 90 acceleration, 90 sprint speed, 86 agility

Cost: £2.6 million (release clause)

Wage: £2,000 a week

We finish over in Norway with Senegal U20 international Krepin Diatta. The centre forward (second striker), striker or left midfielder has chalked up an impressive eight assists and eight goals in Norway this season, a fantastic return considering he only joined Eliteserien side Sarpsborg at the start of the 2017. 

The pacey forward has an overall rating of 67, with the capacity to rise to a potential of 86. 90 acceleration, 90 sprint sped and 86 agility make him a serious threat going forward, which will cost you £2.6 million and wages of £2,000 a week. 

More African wonderkids

C = Cost

W = Wage

*Denotes player on loan

**Unattached players are assigned to random clubs in Career Mode

Who have you snapped up on Career Mode? Let us know in the comments section below.

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