Adonija Ouanda is a 20-year-old winger from Vozdovac in Serbia’s second division. Ouanda, who plays on both the right and left wings, was born in Abidjan (Ivory Coast) but represents Canada. The winger scored 5 goals and provided 5 assists in 17 games for Vozdovac this season. Ouanda has not yet played any minutes for a youth team of the Ivory Coast or Canada.
Ouanda is a strong, powerful player, and at 1.8 metres, he has good size for a winger. On the ball, he is very powerful, and even in a competition where physical strength is certainly important, he stands out. He has very strong legs with a lot of muscle mass. Ouanda uses his legs and shoulders well to shield the ball, making him not easy to dispossess. And despite his muscle mass and relatively large build, Ouanda is a really fast player. His acceleration is exceptional, and that, combined with his power, is very dangerous. You get the feeling with this player that every touch of the ball or sprint can lead to a goal. Ouanda is also strong in the air, partly because he can rise high in these duels due to his strong legs. Another strong point is Ouanda’s stamina, which means that Vozdovac can often strike late or at important moments.
Ouanda can often position himself well on the field in possession and during attacks. He likes to start close to the sideline, and if he does not get the ball, he actively moves inside so that he can still stay involved in the game. He likes to go from the outside to the inside with the ball, but his speed is also a weapon on the outside. Ouanda is a strong finisher, but I am more convinced of his insight to reach his fellow players, and he also shows that in his number of assists. His dribbling ability, together with his insight and strength, makes for a total winger in my opinion. Especially in one-on-one situations, his dribbling is more than good. His finishing is sometimes still a bit wild and rash, but I think that if he works on his composure in these situations, he can certainly take big steps. Despite his strong leg muscles, I think his shot from distance is mediocre, and generating speed in that shot certainly still needs to be developed. He always manages to score from close range, but that is often due to perfect timing in his runs, and that is a very good trait of Ouanda.
Defensively, Ouanda is not an outstandingly strong winger, but he knows how to help his team. Most of the time, he uses his strength and also defends on his front feet, so that is good, but his best defensive actions are moments of putting pressure on defenders and goalkeepers, and with that, he can often really make a difference. But that is just too easy for him in a league of this level. In a stronger league, he will still have to work on choosing the right moments to press, and especially when he has to actively defend. In the duels he defends, his physical strength is always essential, and he knows how to use it well.
Overall, Ouanda is a player to watch this season for clubs from a top 9–15 league. His speed, power, and insight make him an interesting player, but his shots from distance and choosing moments to spend his energy are certainly still points of attention to develop into a player for the top 6 leagues. I think that if Ouanda continues to work on his development points, he can really get started at a club like Parma. For now, I see clubs like Viborg or Las Palmas in front of him, where he can showcase himself at a high level and get minutes.
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