Mohammed Dellahi Yali was born in Nouakchott, the western coastal capital city of Mauritania, on 1 November 1997. The first official club he played for as a teenager was Garde Nationale, a historic Nouakchott based team.
Yali subsequently moved to fellow Mauritanian side FC Tevragh-Zeina, at around 16-17 years of age in 2014. They were only founded in 2005 and play at the Stade Olympique, a 20,000-seater stadium which is also home to the Mauritanian national football team. He enjoyed success their winning two league titles and the Mauritanian Super Cup in 2015 and 2016 along with the Coupe Presidente de la Republique in 2015.
Later in 2016 Yali departed FC Tevragh-Zeina and joined FC Nouadhibou, another Mauritanian club. He played there for eight months before earning a transfer to Latvian Vrsliga (Latvia’s highest division) side FK Liepaja in March 2017. His time in Latvia was short-lived as he made only three appearances and left the club in June 2017. He rejoined FC Nouadhibou that month but left in January 2018 to join FC Tervagh-Zeina.
Yali stayed at FC Tervagh-Zeina for around a year. He caught the eye of Algerian club, DRB Tadjenanet (DRBT) and they signed him in January 2019. He started 13 consecutive matches for them but was unable to prevent them suffering relegation from the Algerian Ligue Professionelle 1 (Algeria’s top division). His impressive performances for DRBT earned him an August 2019 switch to NA Hussein Dey (NAHD), who had remained in the top-flight of Algerian football.
Yali started well at NAHD playing the full 90 minutes of the first three matches of the 2019/2020 Algerian Ligue Professionelle 1 season. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury prior to the fourth game of the campaign. This injury sidelines him for four months. After returning from injury he was unable to make it into their match day squad for seven games in a row between February and March 2020. It is reported that they refused to pay him whilst he was injured and then cancelled his contract without warning. Following action initiated with FIFA by the player and his national federation, the club were ordered to pay him 350,000 euros or risk sanctions. In July 2020 he rejoined FC Tevragh-Zeina.
Yali has has been playing international football for the Mauritanian national team since 2015. He has played 36 times for his country including in the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Position Attributes and Style of Play
Yali is a versatile right-footed operator. He has been used as a centre-back in a 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 formation by his national team manager. He has also played as a deep-lying defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation for his country. In the footage reviewed from the Ligue 1 Mauritania (Mauritania’s top division) he played as both a deep-lying defensive midfielder and as a box-to-box midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation for FC Tevragh-Zeina and at FC Nouadhibou. During his time in Algeria for DRBT and NAHD he mainly played in a central midfield double pivot as more of a box-to-box midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
In the centre-back role Yali was assigned he was given licence to step into midfield areas and affect the game from deep with his passing range. He was also expected to be a firm and calculated tackler, hold his position when the opposition attacked and cover for his centre-back partner/s if the ball was played in behind them. He had slightly differing responsibilities in his deep-lying defensive midfield role. This included dictating the play from deep with his passing and providing cover for his midfield teammates when they pressed forward and a turnover occurred. In this position he was also tasked with intercepting passes into the midfield and attacking thirds, making decisive and intelligent tackles and producing the occasional driving run with or without the ball into the final third to support attacks.
In the role Yali played for DRBT and NAHD, it looked as if his main responsibilities were to help move the ball quickly from the defensive areas into the attacking zones with forward passes and support the attack by making forward runs into attacking areas of the pitch. While he was also expected to provide protection for the defence by winning tackles in the midfield area and intercepting passes played from deeper positions towards the opponent’s attackers.
Yali looks taller than his recorded height of 1.83m. This may be due to his relatively slender frame, long, skinny legs and the fact he is a consistently dominant force in the air. When he plays in midfield, in particular, he is excellent at positioning himself in the direct trajectory of the incoming high ball and jumping to attack it. Noticeably, he is astute at finding himself unchallenged when attacking the ball in the air whether that be from goal-kicks or defensive clearances from the opposition. This enables him to direct the header to a teammate and retain possession. When he is challenged in the air, which usually occurs more often in his centre-back role, he is still effective at winning the majority of the aerial duels due to his positioning and well-timed jumps.
Yali displays important physical traits that any centre-back, defensive midfielder or box-to-box midfielder would ideally have. He uses his size and strength cleverly to shield the ball and hold off opponents when in possession and when pressuring opponents to win the ball off them. His decent speed and sharp burst of acceleration are also useful in these roles. This enables him to cope better with speedy attackers when he plays as a centre back and in his midfield roles allows him to speed away from opponents in and out of possession to help in the build-up play and attacking phases. While it also helps him catch up and win balls off midfielders and attackers who are ahead of him when they receive the ball. The final physical trait which he demonstrates frequently is his endurance. This was most evident in the box-to-box role he played in for DRBT and NAHD as he made powerful forward runs to help support attacks but also had the stamina to make quick recovery runs when needed. His fitness was visible when played as a defensive midfielder too because he would cover the ground in the defensive and midfield zones efficiently. This included tracking opponents into wider areas to challenge them and attempt to win the ball.
For any centre-back or defensive midfielder to be effective they need to be a good ball-winner. Yali shows that he has this in abundance. He uses his long skinny legs to stretch for the ball, whether that be when standing or sliding, as opponent’s attempt to elude him and regularly gets his toe on the ball to knock it away from them. This is quite effective, although it can be a risky way of tackling because when slightly mistimed it leads to fouls. In watching his matches, he did give away a few free-kicks, admittedly in non-dangerous areas, using this tackling style. The other most common way he seeks to win possession from an opponent is by smartly anticipating the direction they attempt to move in with the ball. As they knock the ball in the predicted direction, he steps across them using his long legs and body weight to place himself in front of them and with his legs now closest to the ball. At this point he usually manages to get the ball under control, shield it well and pass it to a teammate but sometimes he is forced to clear the ball out of play.
When Yali plays as a deep-lying defensive midfielder or as more of a box-to-box midfielder in a double pivot he is good at anticipating where second balls will land. He uses his judgment along with good acceleration, determination and his lanky legs to reach these balls before opponents do. His ability to latch on to loose balls in the midfield areas and launch attacks with forward or wide passes was replicated in every game reviewed when he played either of these roles. Alongside this, he presses well in midfield areas specifically when an opposition midfielder receives the ball with his back to him. He is quick to read these intended passes or throw-ins from wide areas played towards an opposition midfield player. Sometimes he nips in front of them, collects the ball, drives forward and plays a pass. On other occasions he will reach the opponent just as they receive the ball and either his presence will force them to play a backwards pass or he will knock the ball out of their control usually leading to a throw-in or the ball going back to one of the opponent’s teammates in a deeper position.
An aspect of Yali’s game where he excels is his passing. At centre-back when the opposition attackers drop off and give him time and space to pick out his passes this suits him perfectly. From a centre-back position he is capable of of producing accurate incisive passes from deep into the midfield areas, more direct longer balls into the central attackers, beautifully weighted cross-field passes to a wide player on the flanks as well as curved floated balls over the top of opposition wing-backs for wide teammates to exploit. In a deep-lying defensive midfield position he plays a similar array of passes as well as simple sideways passes to recirculate possession in deeper areas. As he is further forward he can also break the lines with intelligent forward passes into the attackers in central areas and through balls into the channels for wingers or attackers making runs off the defenders to collect. What stands out about his passing is the near-perfect weight he puts on his passes which makes it easy for his teammates to control. Although he is a great passer, he sometimes tries to force attacks by attempting unnecessarily difficult and overly ambitious passes to open the game or unlock a defence rather than playing a much simpler pass and keeping possession. This results in possession being squandered needlessly and a potential attacking opportunity wasted.
An area of Yali’s game which is less easily identifiable yet crucial in enabling him to utilise his passing range, when played as a deep-lying defensive midfielder, is his ability to create angles to receive the ball. When his teammates have the ball ahead of him in central or wide areas especially the full-backs, wingers or other central midfield players he will shuttle across behind them, into their vicinity and cleverly situate himself at a deeper diagonal angle, as if he is at the point of a triangle, leaving a reasonable amount of space between himself and his teammate whilst also ensuring that he is free from any opposition player. This makes it easy for his teammate to turn, see his availability to receive the ball and pass the ball back to him. It also means that when he receives the ball he is facing the play and has plenty of time and space to pick out a pass or drive forward and play a pass.
Yali needs to improve his awareness of runners making runs off of him into space in the midfield and attacking thirds. He sometimes fails to track opposition players running off him into pockets of space, in threatening parts of the pitch, to receive the ball. He therefore needs to work on his spatial awareness so that he can identify opposition players picking up new positions and respond quickly to those changes in their positions. He can do this by making sure he is continually scanning the pitch and taking frequent glances over his shoulders but also keeping an eye on the ball. This will mean he has knowledge of where his direct opponents are and where they have moved to based on his positioning and where the ball is. He can then react appropriately and cover the correct spaces to reduce the passing lane into a player who has made a run off him. Forcing that player to pick up a new position and preventing them receiving the ball in a menacing zone of the field.
Long-term Potential
Having reviewed Yali across numerous competitions including: 2019 AFCON qualifying, Mauritanian Premier League, international friendlies and the Algerian Ligue Professionelle 1, he has shown he has the attributes to become an important player for a club in Europe’s top 10 leagues.
Looking forward, Yali could transition from a talented midfielder into a excellent centre-back. He is tall and strong enough to handle this position, is good in the air, has decent speed and is adept in ground duels. If a team wishes to build-up the play from deep and employ a ball-playing centre-back, he would be a particularly useful due to his great passing ability. He already has some experience as a centre-back having played their numerous times for his country. Of course, he would need to hone some facets of his defensive work like his spatial awareness and marking from set pieces. Though it is important to say that these areas would probably improve if he played as a centre-back week in week out.
Potential Future Clubs
Yali has had a somewhat tumultuous career so far. He has played for numerous teams in his homeland as well as having a short difficult stint in Latvia and a promising start yet bitter ending to his time in Algeria. These experiences would have helped him grow as a person and will stand him in good stead for his next move.
Yali should be looking to move on again from Tevragh-Zeina despite rejoining them in July 2020. He is already one of the best players in Mauritania and staying there will not progress his career. However, it is vital that this time he makes sure he makes the right move. A wrong decision will probably mean he will not reach his full potential.
So, let’s take a look at two clubs Yali could join where he could flourish:
- Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor had a an average 2019/2020 season finising ninth in the Turkish Super Lig (Turkey’s top division) To improve on last season’s position and potentially reach the top 6 this season (2020/2021), they need to sign a couple more players to enhance their squad.
In reviewing Antalyaspor’s squad they have a lack of depth in the centre-back position and in defensive midfield. Currently they only have three regular centre-back options: 32-year-old Veysel Sari, 33-year-old Ersan Gulum and 24-year-old Bahadir Ozturk. Also they only have one established defensive midfield player in their first-team squad. That player is well-renowned Turkish international and former Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin. To save on cost and improve the depth of their squad at centre-back and in defensive midfield they should be looking to acquire Yali. He would likely be very cheap to sign from FC Tevragh-Zeina, has experience of playing in a good league in Algeria plus he is a dynamic player with great passing, aerially prowess and ball-winning ability. Additionally, his positional versatility would be attractive for them. He could be used as a ball-playing centre-back, a deep-lying playmker-destroyer defensive midfield hybrid or as a box-to-box midfielder depending on the coach’s preference and tactics. He would be an upgrade on their two ageing centre-backs, especially in possession and would be a good back-up for Nuri Sahin in the short-term. An added bonus is that he is only 22-years-old which means that he has time to develop and improve some aspects of his game. Providing he was given a fair opportunity to play, he would probably become a mainstay in their defence or midfield within a season. This would likely lead to them selling him to a bigger club after a a year or two and making a handsome profit.
A transfer to Antalyaspor would be a good move for Yali. They are a medium-sized Turkish club playing in a very competitive league. This means there would not be too much fan pressure which would allow him to adapt to a new country and its league more easily. He will also be able to improve his game by playing alongside better players and against better opposition.
Antalyaspor have a small number of players in their first-team squad who are centre-backs or play in a defensive midfield role. As such, if he joined them, he would be able to gain plenty of first-team minutes as a starter and off the bench. If he could consistently demonstrate his ability over a season or two, most likely, as a centre-back or deep-lying defensive midfielder his key qualities would shine through and make him standout as one of their best players. It is foreseeable that he would then attract interest from more well-known Turkish Super Lig clubs like Kasimpasa or Trabzonspor, or maybe even one of Turkey’s big three of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray or Besiktas. Therefore, a move to Turkey could see him progress to a prestigious club quickly.
- Randers
Randers finished in mid-table in the Danish Superliga (Denmark’s top division) last season and will be looking to finish in a higher position in the newly commenced 2020/2021 season.
For Randers to improve on last season’s finish they will need to add some extra quality, competition and depth to their centre-back and midfield options. A player they should recruit to provide that in both areas of the team is Yali. He is comfortable as a centre-back, a defensive midfielder and has played in a box-to-box midfield role too. He would probably be available for a low price and has the characteristics from a technical, tactical and physical standpoint to develop into a key player for the club. If he handles the transition from Mauritania to Denmark and is given opportunities to play, he should be able to flourish there. In turn, presenting the club with a chance to make a massive profit on him if they sold him a few years after his arrival.
At Randers, Yali would be competing with two experienced midfielders: club captain Andre Romer and Vito Hammershoj plus two younger midfielders Frederik Lauenborg and Issah Salou. If he joined, it is most likely that he would originally act as a back-up defensive midfielder with Romer and Hammershoj the first-choice defensive midfield pairing. They use a 4-4-2 formation with those two acting as defensive midfielders. This formation would complement Yali because he has played as a defensive midfielder throughout his career so far. After a few months at the club, in all likelihood his effectiveness as deep-lying playmaker and destroyer hybrid would become apparent to the manager Thomas Thomasberg. He has an extensive passing range, solid ground duel performance, dynamism and excellent aerially ability which would be an upgrade on what Hammershoj provides from this position. Although Thomasberg may instead prefer to utilise Yali as a ball-playing centre back due to his mix of passing variety, good tackling, pace and aerially ability. He could be paired alongside one of the three more experienced centre-backs captain Erik Marxen, Simon Piesinger or Mathias Nielsen. It should also be noted that they have a young centre-back of 21 years called Simon Graves, who gained some valuable first-team experience last season. Yali could provide the composure and quality on the ball from defence whereas Marxen, Nielsen, Graves or Piesinger could act as the more aggressive and commanding centre-back. This could work well. Thinking long-term, over the course of this season they could look to begin phasing out Marxen and Nielsen as the first-choice centre-back pair and start playing Yali and Graves together at the heart of the defence, with the view to them being the two key centre-backs for the 2021/2022 season.
Transferring to Randers from FC Tevragh-Zeina would provide Yali with an opportunity to join a stable club who have established themselves as a mid-table team in the well-respected Danish Superliga. This stability would help him settle better in new surroundings and give him the platform to perform to his best. If he could perform consistently over a couple of seasons in midfield and/or defence he would likely attract attention from a host of clubs around Europe. This could result in him being snapped up by one of Denmark’s biggest clubs like FC Copenhagen, another big club in Scandinavia or potentially more well-known clubs in more lucrative leagues like the Russian Premier League, the Belgian First Division A or Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
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