In the near future, when Martin Odegaard takes his place among football’s top stars, the UAE goalkeeper Ali Kasheif and will have a few tales to recount.
Odegaard, who will celebrate his 16th birthday on December 17, made an impressive international debut on Friday night, becoming the youngest player ever to don the Norway jersey.
At 15 years and 253 days, he erased the name of Tormod Kjellsen from the record books.
Kjellsen was 15 years and 351 days when he played his first match for Norway in 1910, but he managed only one more international cap. On the evidence of last night’s performance, Odegaard has a much longer, and celebrated, career ahead.
Justifying his tag as one of the hottest property in football, Odegaard looked a class apart with his fluid movement, clever positioning and incisive passing. He was finding spaces in the UAE defence almost at will, sneaking through unnoticed.
Playing the full match, Odegaard showed absolutely no signs of first-match nerves. Instead, he was supremely confident.
Norway had 12 corners and he took each of them, the first in the opening minute; the hosts had five shots on target and the young star had a role to play in all of them. Fortunately for the UAE, Kasheif was alert to the dangers.
According to his father, Hans Erik Odegaard, more than 30 top European clubs have made enquiries about the teen, and on the evidence of his performance last night, it is easy to understand why.
Odegaard looks destined for stardom, and the UAE can some day claim that journey started against them.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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