One To Watch
Emanuel Emegha: RC Strasbourg’s Speedster
Emegha, 22, is in his second season in Ligue 1 McDonald’s and has become a standout not just for his 12 goals but for his incredible athleticism. At 6-foot-5, he’s one of the most physically gifted players in the league — and he uses it to full effect, sprinting up and down the field with power and endurance.
Strasbourg’s young team, coached by Liam Rosenior, plays a style that draws opponents in and then hits them quickly on the counter. That suits Emegha perfectly, along with fellow speedsters Diego Moreira and Dilane Bakwa.
According to tracking data, Emegha leads all attackers in total sprints this season — and he’s second overall among all players. He also holds the top sprint speed recorded this season.
No other forward comes close. Since August, Emegha has racked up over 500 sprints — far ahead of players like Bradley Barcola (370), Arnaud Kalimuendo (353), and Jonathan David (318). And he’s one of only three players in the league to have covered at least 10 kilometers just in sprints — joining Moreira and Rennes’ Adrien Truffert.
On average, Emegha runs 7.7 kilometers per match — and more than a full kilometer of that is at over 20 km/h (12.4 mph). Among forwards, he’s second in distance covered between 20–25 km/h and first by a huge margin in distance covered at speeds above 25 km/h. He covers 463 meters at that top speed per game — over 100 more than the next-best, Moussa Al Tamari.
He also leads all forwards in total sprints per game (24.5) and defensive sprints (10.3). In short, he’s not just dangerous going forward — he helps defend, too.
All of this shows just how unique Emegha is. Running fast and hard isn’t everything in soccer, but for Strasbourg, it’s made a massive difference.
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