From Serie C to Italian national team: Charting the rise of Mo Ali Zona
Italy have announced their squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures and it has brought about a host of new faces. Some of them have been unexpected and others are raising eyebrows. One such...
Italy has unveiled their squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, introducing a few new faces. Among them is Nurnberg's Mo Ali Zona, a 22-year-old striker whose journey in football has been quite remarkable. Born to an Ivorian mother and a father from Burkina Faso, Ali Zona began his career at AlbinoLeffe's youth academy.
He never played beyond Serie C, making a mark for them in four campaigns. At AlbinoLeffe, Ali Zona proved to be a consistent goalscorer, scoring 29 goals and providing 21 assists in 121 appearances. His impressive performance caught the attention of Nurnberg, who signed him in his second campaign in the German second division. There, he managed to score 14 goals and assist five times in the ongoing campaign.
His performance has been noteworthy enough to draw interest from clubs like West Ham and Hull City, both of which rejected their offers, and Fiorentina. Roberto Mancini, Ali Zona's current manager, believes he is a formidable weapon capable of versatility in attack. He plays down the middle but primarily operates as a left-sided attacker, often cutting inside.
Italy has been in need of such players since Federico Chiesa's prominence waned, and Mattia Zacagni's inconsistency. Ali Zona brings that unpredictable nature to their attack, especially as they aim to transition away from the 3-5-2 formation and explore a more 4-3-3 setup.
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