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5 Nov, 2018 21:38

A star is born: 14yo Fernando Ovelar scores opener in Paraguayan 'Superclasico'

A star is born: 14yo Fernando Ovelar scores opener in Paraguayan 'Superclasico'

Most teenagers can only dream of one day playing professional football but for Fernando Ovelar those dreams have become a reality, as the 14-year-old opened his account by scoring in the biggest fixture in Paraguayan football.

Ovelar, who is still two months shy of his 15th birthday, emphatically announced his arrival on his country’s domestic game as he bagged the first goal for his team Cerro Porteno in their Superclasico fixture with rivals Olimpia on Sunday - one week after making his senior debut for the team.

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Ovelar’s goal proved crucial as it would end up securing a draw for his side. Nestor Camacho, who scored the game’s final goal for Olimpia is, at 31, more than double the age of the game’s opening goalscorer.

He becomes the youngest player to feature in an official top flight fixture in Paraguayan football history and joins a very short list of players to have scored at a similar age.

Freddy Adu, an American player who was once dubbed ‘the next Pele’, also scored at the age of 14 for DC United in Major League Soccer. Adu would go on to represent several clubs, including Benfica and AS Monaco, but he never hit the heights that many expected of him.

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The youngest player ever to play professional football is Bolivia’s Mauricio Baldivieso who made his debut for Aurora at the age of 12.

Ovelar's impact, though, appears to signpost him as one of South American football's top prospects.

While it ultimately hasn't quite worked out for Adu or Baldivieso, you can bet that several of Europe's top scouts will have had their interest piqued by the youngster, especially considering the sublime nature of his finish. 

Take a bow, son.

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