Does AS Monaco have a new nugget in its hands?
Thursday, at half-time in the match between the Principality club and Auxerre, Philippe Clément surprised everyone by sending Wissam Ben Yedder to the bench at half-time.
The name of his replacement was just as surprising.
It is Eliesse Ben Seghir, only 17 years old, who is chosen to replace him.
Unknown to everyone, or almost, he will quickly make a name for himself with all the spectators of the meeting.
After a first goal in the 58th minute, he will mark the spirits with a double on a clear shot 30 meters from the goal (85th).
With two birds with one stone, he gives victory to Monaco (3-2) and explodes in the eyes of all.
But who is Eliesse Ben Seghir, a new Monegasque phenomenon?
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
First game in the league
Before returning to action on Thursday evening, Ben Seghir had only played a single minute as a professional during the Europa League match against Red Star Belgrade on November 3.
With the exception of the first day against Starsbourg, he has never been called up to the professional group.
But one chance was enough for him and that didn't surprise his teammates: “
I don't want to be the killjoy but I'm not surprised by his success
.
He is a boy who takes his responsibilities, we see it on his two goals.
We saw him gaining momentum with his preparation matches.
But it's still a crazy thing to get a double for your first match in L1,
"said Malang Sarr after the meeting.
Just behind Thierry Henry
To situate the great performance of the kid from Var (he was born in Saint-Tropez), you have to go back in time and look for the last player under 18 to have scored twice with AS Monaco.
If it is not Kylian Mbappé (first double and even tripled at 18 years and 41 days), Ben Seghir may be honored by his predecessor who is none other than Thierry Henry.
Within 60 days, he would have become the youngest double scorer in ASM history.
It remains very promising despite everything and the Monegasque club knows that it will have to polish its new jewel, under contract until 2025.
French youth international
Very promising for several years, his talent has not gone unnoticed by the federation.
While he has dual Franco-Moroccan nationality, he has gradually evolved in all age categories of the France team, playing with the U16s, U17s and U18s.
He is currently at 5 selections and a goal scored with the under 18s.
Before, perhaps, discovering the Espoirs then the A.
His big brother plays in Marseille
In the Ben Seghir family, I ask Salim.
Playing with the reserve of Olympique de Marseille since 2021, Salim Ben Seghir is also a professional player.
Two years older than his brother, he was overtaken by the youngest of the family in discovering the professional world.
Also an international youth player in the France team, he will certainly have the opportunity to discover the joys of Ligue 1 one day. And why not fulfill the wish of his little brother Eliesse who "
dreams
" of facing his eldest, as he affirmed it for the AS Monaco media.
Generation 2005-2006
Eliesse Ben Seghir is part of the 2005 generation, which he rubs shoulders with in the young France team.
And what a generation!
The future of the France team looks very promising.
At only 17 and 18 years old, several players have already exploded among the big boys.
Among them, we find Mathys Tel, today at Bayern Munich, the Rennes Désiré Doué or the Parisians Warren Zaire Emery and El Chadaille Bitshiabu.
If Ben Seghir continues to progress and confirms, it would not be surprising to find several of them in the France A team in a few years.
In any case, it is an objective that must occupy a place in their minds.