Yankuba Minteh scores yet again as future under review
Yankuba Minteh continues in blistering form.
Still only 19, the teenager started in a World Cup group qualifier against Seychelles on Saturday.
Then with the score at 2-1 to Gambia, the Newcastle United winger scored his latest goal.
A flowing move saw Gambia win possession and break at pace, the ball switched to the left and when Yankuba Minteh was played into the box, his 55th minute strike past the keeper despite two despairing late covering challenges from defenders, one of them adding a deflection.
Later on after Gambia added a fourth and then went 5-1 up on 78 minutes, Yankuba Minteh subbed with his work done.
As well as an impressive number of assists, this makes it 13 goals scored for club and country these past 12 months for Yankuba Minteh. With 10 goals for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, another in the Champions League, plus now two for Gambia. Not bad for a 19 year old.
All eyes on what happens with Yankuba Minteh for next season. Will Eddie Howe and Newcastle United integrate the exciting winger into the NUFC first team squad for the 2024/25 season, or will he go out on loan again to get more chance of regular first team minutes? Recent days has also seen stories started up by journalists claiming Newcastle United could sell Yankuba Minteh for a £30m profit a year on after his £7m purchase from Odense. The speculative claims suggesting Newcastle United could/would sell for £40m this summer in order to help bring in Howe’s transfer targets and/or help deal with PSR issues. To me, these claims of Newcastle United prepared to sell Yankuba Minteh before he has played a single NUFC match, sounding a ‘little’ unlikely, desperate journalists writing desperate transfer tales as they are so desperate for some attention and clicks.
Tuesday will see Yankuba Minteh and his international teammates back in action, as they have another World Cup group qualifier against Gabon.
(Go to 4.40 on these video highlights to see the Yankuba Minteh goal)
The schedule of Newcastle United players on international duty:
Monday 3 June
England 3 Bosnia & Herzegovina 0 (Friendly)
Kieran Trippier was captain and put in a good performance at left-back at St James’ Park. One of five England players subbed just after the hour mark, Trippier a certainty for the plane to Germany. Southgate resting Anthony Gordon to ensure no lingering issues from his ankle injury, the manager hoping to play the NUFC winger on Friday against Iceland.
Tuesday 4 June
Switzerland 4 Estonia 0 (Friendly)
Fabian Schar with a perfect warm up match for the European Championships. Playing on the right of a back three with Akanji and Elvedi, they restricted the opposition to just three efforts on target in this commanding win.
Wednesday 5 June
Denmark 2 Sweden 1 (Friendly)
Emil Krafth played the full 90 minutes and had a decent game at right-back. Whilst playing through the middle, Alexander Isak produced a very good left foot finish after making space for himself with a right foot touch. That ninth minute goal equalised an early Denmark goal but Eriksen won it with four minutes to go with a sweet strike from outside the box for the hosts. By that time Isak had been subbed with twenty minutes to go.
Slovakia 4 San Marino 0 (Friendly)
An easy win for Slovakia which Newcastle’s Martin Dubravka watched from the bench.
Friday 7 June
England 0 Iceland 1 (Friendly)
Both Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier started at Wembley in this final warm-up game ahead of the Euros. England stunned when Porsteinsson scored on the break in the 12th minute, both Stones and Ramsdale at fault for the goal.
England huffed and puffed and had plenty of possession but against a packed defence struggled to create a lot of clear chances. Kane missed an open goal from six yards out and Palmer could/should have done better with chances for himself. A night when England’s supposed stellar names/players, the likes of Foden, Rice and Kane were poor.
Trippier and Gordon lined up on the left and the defender had a decent match, whilst Anthony Gordon wasn’t one of the weakest in the attacking half, linked up well with Palmer at times in the first half. The Newcastle United pair were subbed with 25 minutes to go.
Saturday 8 June
Gambia 5 Seychelles 1
Teenager Yankuba Minteh started in this World Cup group qualifier and with the score at 2-1, the Newcastle United winger scored his latest goal. A 55th minute strike past the keeper and two despairing late covering challenges from defenders. Then after Gambia went 5-1 up on 78 minutes, Yankuba Minteh subbed with his work done.
Sunday 9 June
Slovakia v Wales (Martin Dubravka) Friendly
Tuesday 11 June
Gabon v Gambia (Yankuba Minteh) World Cup group qualifier
Andorra v Northern Ireland (Jamal Lewis) Friendly
Wednesday 12 June
USA v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Friendly
Chile v Paraguay (Miguel Almiron) Friendly
Sunday 16 June
England v Serbia (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match
Panama v Paraguay (Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Monday 17 June
Slovakia v Belgium (Martin Dubravka) Euros Group match
Thursday 20 June
England v Denmark (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match
Friday 21 June
Slovakia v Ukraine (Martin Dubravka) Euros Group match
Monday 24 JuneÂ
Costa Rica v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match
Colombia v Paraguay (Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Tuesday 25 June
England v Slovenia (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match
Wednesday 26 June
Slovakia v Romania (Martin Dubravka) Euros Group match
Friday 28 JuneÂ
Paraguay v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Tuesday 2 JulyÂ
Colombia v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match
There will of course be more matches, if Newcastle United players see their nations get through the group stages of the Copa America and/or the European Championships.
