By Pan-Africa Football contributor Deolu Akingbade
Scouting Report
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro
Position: Central Midfield
Current Club: Inter Milan (Italy)
DOB: 25 November 2004
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Height: 176 cm (5’9)
Statistics
| Club (Years) | League | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remo Stars (-2023) | Nigeria Professional Football League | 4 | 0 |
| Inter Milan U-19 (2023-) | Primavera 1 | 12 | 0 |
Player Description
Akinsanmiro plays in a similar style to Andrés Iniesta. Both play either as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder. Akinsanmiro is an orchestrator, someone who controls the midfield, kickstarting attacks with his technical skills and offensive input. He can play on either side in Inter’s 4-3-3 defensive formation, and he’s also played as the #10 in the 4-2-3-1. He’s played roles as a creator, a box-to-box midfielder, or even a mezzala, drifting in from the outside into the inside with his cutting, energetic playstyle.
He has great touch, dribbling skills, and vision. However, Akinsanmiro is also an intelligent interpreter of the game. He shares the same tendencies as Iniesta; he retains the ball, penetrates the defense from the outside, plays incisive one-twos, and often sends the ball to the wings. Iniesta and Akinsanmiro both work hard on offense and defense, are agile and athletic, and make big plays on both ends of the ball.
General Pros and Cons
Pros
+ Excellent dribbler who controls the ball really well and is comfortable using all parts of his feet.
+ Incredible distributor who can facilitate play with his incredible vision.
+ Solid tackler who shows incredible technique with his tackling.
Cons
– Often puts too much power on his shot leading to many attempts going off target.
– Ineffective when it comes to aerial duels due to his height.
Physical
+ Very fast and agile. His small build helps him outpace defenders on counters. It helps that he’s super shifty and can turn easily.
+ Can play the full 90 minutes consistently and reliably. He can still be a playmaker through fatigue, which has helped him stay in the game for key minutes.
+ Deceivingly strong when it comes to tackling. A mixture of balance, bodily knowledge, and brute muscle helps him execute tackles, take opponents off their feet, and stay on his feet to withstand tactical fouls.
– Comes up short several times in aerial duels. His height makes it hard for him to overpower bigger defenders on the ball, which is why he often opts to contest second balls that come to him on the ground.
Technical
+ Solid dribbler with incredible ball control. He can take the ball upfield for huge counters, beat the press, and turn quickly and unexpectedly to draw fouls. He has a good touch on the ball and can control, shift, and kill the ball pretty easily.