Ziyad Baha is a 15-year-old Málaga, Spain-born Moroccan striker who scored four goals in six appearances during the U17 Africa Cup of Nations. He bagged a brace against both South Africa and Uganda. Baha plays his club football for Real Betis after spending time in FUS Rabat and Málaga CF’s academies.
Despite lacking top end speed and acceleration, he possesses a strong frame for a player competing against players two years older than him. Baha stands at around 1.83 m, too, completing a physical profile that has tons of potential for growth both in stature and pace. He uses that mature frame for his age well to hold up play and shield possession while also drawing fouls. Additionally, his aerial ability needs work as his heading when contested is competitive but not close enough to professional quality, yet. Baha has a considerably high work rate for a forward, as well, showing commitment to both phases while contributing to the high press with notable hustle, especially in transition.
On the attack, his biggest strength is his off-ball movement, frequently making timely runs in support to stretch the middle channel with the intent to split center backs. Though he lacks the sheer pace to naturally stretch out the defense, Baha’s timeliness and frequency of his runs give him the proper juice to get on the end of plenty of finishing opportunities on the counter. If he did not reach a ball played through to him, it was likely due to that lack of pace to finish breaking in behind the defense. When finishing, his composure was ahead of his years, testing the goalkeeper with a variety of shots, preferring to strike with power from both close range and outside the box. He brought maturity to the penalty spot, finishing low on the one he scored, while bagging a few first-time finishes (one off the volley, one to end the counter following a well-timed run, and one headed tap-in). Baha’s poaching traits are clear and the placement and creativity of his shots even when short on time/under pressure exemplify that, like on a back heel finish of a near post cross that he managed to put on target. With his off-ball runs, Baha has a knack for attacking that near post, attracting attention to open up space for teammates far side or to strike at the near post with power himself. A large component missing from his poaching repertoire is the use of his weaker left foot. His exclusive ball-striking with his right could make him too predictable at senior level despite his creativity when finishing first time. The composure and power on his strikes make him a finisher ahead of his years. There is plenty of work to be put in to become a more well-rounded striker, though in this tournament his finishing showed why a club of Real Betis’s status wanted him in their academy by earning third place in the golden boot race.
On the dribble, Baha struggled in tight areas/under pressure, losing control on heavy touch or by forcing distribution. His 1v1 dribbling was ineffective, lacking necessary creativity and agility to get free. In addition, his decision-making needs work, as finishing is always on his mind, causing him to miss open passing options or take an ill-advised shot. He is still developing his awareness under pressure, but his composed and mostly well-placed finishing shines a positive light into the future of his distribution and dribbling efficiency.
Baha has a nose for goal, a mature frame, and serious poaching instincts. He dominated the score sheet in a tournament where most players were one or two years his senior by relying on box composure and intelligent off-ball movement, not physical traits. Because of this, he is an easy future projection to the top five leagues. If he gets faster and continues to refine himself technically, Baha could be a dangerous striker in the Champions League for the 2030s.
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