13th Sep 2024 • Written by Henry Swain

Hindolo Mustapha: Crystal Palace's 1%

The transition from academy to first-team football is one that sees many once-exciting prospects fail to live up to fans' expectations. The process is Darwinian, harsh, and unforgiving.

Former Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis has spent his retirement from professional management researching the academy system, where he found that 97% of former elite academy players aged 21-26 failed to make a Premier League appearance. Even then, just 1% go on to have a prolonged career at the highest level.

Hindolo Mustapha is a name fast spreading around the Crystal Palace fan base after his maiden international call-up, but for all the hype, a simple question remains: could he be one of the few to make it at Palace? 

Mustapha’s career so far

Joining the Palace academy aged nine, the affectionately nicknamed ‘Hindo’ has risen impressively through the age groups, making his debut for the Under-18s when he was just sixteen. 

Featuring for both the Under-18s and Under-21s last season, Mustapha is now establishing his place as a regular starter in the PL2, where he’s been deployed in both midfield and attack.

Two goals in two weeks have already caught the eyes of Palace fans this season, including one for his country Sierra Leone on just his second appearance in professional football. 

Mustapha played 25 times across both the Under-18s and Under-21s in the 23/24 season, scoring six goals and registering nine assists. 

He signed his first professional deal in January 2024, committing his future to Palace. 

The story of Mustapha’s season

With the current season just a month young, it may be surprising that its games are being included in this analysis. However, having fully transitioned to the Under-21s, Mustapha has scored a goal in each of his two games in Premier League 2, earning him a maiden call-up to the Sierra Leone international side over the recent international break. 

In the nation’s second African Cup of Nations Qualifier, Mustapha was introduced in the 59th minute, replacing Bristol Rover’s Kamil Conteh. He scored an equalising goal in the 73rd minute before Zambia won the game with a late goal. 

Very few academy players at this stage in their career are given such an opportunity on the senior international stage - there are none at Palace other than Mustapha himself - yet he has already rewarded the faith shown in him by his country.

Analysing Mustapha’s game

Predominantly operating as an attacking midfielder, Mustapha has also played both on the wing and in deeper areas of midfield. At 6”1, he has often overwhelmed opponents when playing at Under-18 level, possessing the strength to brush challenges aside and retain possession of the ball. 

This physical advantage has aided his transition into both the Under-21s and also men’s competitive football, allowing him to compete against further developed players with relative ease and comfort. 

His attacking play is extremely direct, using his pace and power to run at opponents with aggression and elite dribbling. He uses this ability to beat opponents, both in tight areas and also when there is space to exploit behind the defender. 

For all his height and strength, Mustapha’s best asset is the agility and control with which he dribbles the ball, carrying his team forward and leaving the opposition far behind.

Similar in nature to Eberechi Eze, Mustapha is especially comfortable on the edge of the penalty box. He utilises shoulder drops and feints to open space before releasing powerful strikes towards the corners. 

His goal for Sierra Leone struck a resemblance to those in Eze’s catalogue, dribbling through two defenders before producing a powerful and accurate strike from inside the box, despite a cluster of defensive bodies. The general ball striking ability that he possesses - from curling shots to powerful volleys - makes Mustapha stand out. 

Watching Mustapha play for the academy sides is always incredibly enjoyable, which is a trait many players struggle to replicate. His intelligence seeps into his play both offensively and defensively, and perhaps most notably in his pressing - Palace scored countless goals last season due to his ability to win the ball high up the pitch.

Such a press resulted in the opening goal of Palace’s Under-18 FA Cup run last season, stealing the ball away from a defender before firing a volley into the bottom corner. 

Mustapha won’t be playing against the younger and more naive defenders of the U18 PL now that he has stepped up to the Under-21s, but he has never relied on errors - as proven by his record of 3 goals in 4 appearances this season already.

How could Mustapha integrate into Palace’s first team?

The natural progression of Mustapha’s career would suggest that first team minutes would be the next significant step. Glasner’s system provides opportunities for players such as Mustapha to fit into the side, with depth in attacking midfield options relatively low. 

Operating most effectively as an attacking midfielder, but also performing well on the left wing, Mustapha could be implemented into the first team in one of the two attacking midfield roles behind the striker. 

Upon Olise’s transfer to Bayern Munich, Palace are now void of that creativity, and without signing any clear cut number ten throughout the summer transfer window, there may be room for the likes of Hindolo Mustapha to step into the first team.

The step up to the Premier League is a huge one, with Mustapha’s international experience, should it continue, offering vital game time against senior professional opposition. Possessing the pace, strength and skill that he does, he certainly has the physical assets to bridge the athletic gap between youth and professional football.

His presence would add some much needed unpredictability to the Palace attack, which has become somewhat reliant on Eze. Mustapha has been providing this creativity week on week in youth fixtures and now on the international stage. It remains to be seen whether his creativity will translate into Premier League football - but with game time, Mustapha could prove himself to be a potential long-term successor to Eberechi Eze. 

Thumbnail image via: @mustaphaa_22

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