He only started once in qualifying, but this year he has become a permanent fixture in the Swiss national team: Dan Ndoye has developed rapidly.
After half an hour in the game against Scotland, Dan Ndoye finally seemed to be rewarded for his great efforts: After failing to beat the goalkeeper shortly before, this time his shot landed in the net. But the celebration was nipped in the bud - offside. The video shows: it was close. Just a few centimetres prevented Ndoye's first goal as an international. But it won't be long before the 23-year-old makes up for lost time.
The national team has played six matches this year, with Ndoye starting six times. The fact that the Lausanne-Sport-trained winger would play such an important role could not have been foreseen during the qualifiers. At first he was not in the squad at all, then only as a substitute. He made five partial appearances, all of which lasted around 20 minutes. He only made his debut in the starting line-up in the last match, when participation in the European Championship was already certain.
Ndoye was clearly the youngest member of the Swiss starting eleven, which had "aged" again compared to the opening game of the European Championship (average age against Scotland: 29.72 years). National coach Murat Yakin appreciates Ndoye's joy of playing and, above all, the pace he brings to the game. "He's fit, has great self-confidence and is therefore very valuable to the team."
Changed position
Interestingly, Ndoye's role has changed again since the start of the year. In the test matches, the son of a Swiss mother and a Senegalese father played in the same position four times: on the left side of the midfield four. What began as an experiment seemed to prove its worth. Ndoye impressed as a pacemaker who also did defensive work. This was not always flawless, but the young player was generously overlooked.
Then came the European Championship and it was clear to everyone that Ndoye would also play in left midfield against Hungary. But Michel Aebischer suddenly found himself there. Ndoye found himself one position further forward and on the other side.
Yakin justified the switch with tactical considerations that should surprise the opponent. In the test match against Austria, Ndoye had been double-guarded on the left and thus taken out of the game. "What's more, Dan almost always plays on the right wing at the club, which is where he feels comfortable," added Yakin. The measure was successful: the Hungarians had not expected the change of sides and were taken by surprise in the first half.
The crowning glory is missing
Yakin also used Ndoye on the right-hand side against Scotland. He impressed both times with quick runs, leaving his opponents behind him several times and getting the ball into the dangerous area. His biggest shortcoming: the final passes - and ultimately the finishes. Against Hungary, many passes ended up in nothing; against Scotland, Ndoye should have scored at least one goal. On one occasion, he got free in front of the goalkeeper, but pushed the ball past the goal.
If Ndoye had crowned his previous performances with an assist or a goal, Bologna would have been inundated with offers long ago. But even so, many top clubs are likely to have taken notice of the winger, who played 32 league games for the upcoming Champions League participants last season. However, he had to make do with the same haul that he only needed two games for at FC Basel at the start of the season: one goal and two assists.
It is obvious that Ndoye is not yet fully mature, but his development is remarkable. Basel let him move to Bologna for a transfer fee of eight to ten million euros, where he has a contract until 2027 as a team-mate of Michel Aebischer and Remo Freuler. Since then, his market value has risen significantly. The European Championship, in which Switzerland should make it through the group stage with four points from two games, will give this development a further boost. Only the crowning glory is still missing.
