At just 17, Jean Canehmez is gearing up for one of the biggest challenges of his fledgling career. The fresh-faced ASC Gaica starlet, who honed his craft at the New Caledonian Football Association’s Jacques Zimako Academy, is a member of the Les Petits Cagous squad preparing to compete at the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ for the third time in the territory’s history.
Boasting an understated work ethic and no little ambition, Canehmez embodies a generation brimming with youthful enthusiasm that dreams of shaking up the established order. Drawing inspiration from his role model, N’Golo Kante, he is hell-bent on making the most of the opportunity to pit his wits against high-profile opposition in the shape of tournament regulars Japan, African champions Morocco and European titlists Portugal.
Fully aware of the challenge that lies ahead on Qatari soil, the talented anchorman spoke exclusively to FIFA with a maturity belying his years as he looked forward to the global showpiece with a mix of eagerness, pride and humility. The engine-room orchestrator sees the tournament first and foremost as a human adventure, but also as a step towards landing a dream move abroad.
Jean Canehmez: We’re all set and are full of confidence. We can’t wait for things to get going. That said, we’re obviously feeling a little anxious, but I’d say it’s a positive sort of anxiety.
It’s a dream come true. My career journey has been a fairly conventional one so far. I took my first steps in the game at the age of six. I spent all of my youth career at Paita before making the move to Gaica earlier this year. When I was at secondary school, I joined the Jacques Zimako Academy. When I’m not playing, I spend a lot of time watching football, so being involved at a World Cup is obviously something I’ve been dreaming about. Although I’d never really imagined it’d actually happen.
Yes, I’ve fond memories of the 2018 World Cup, especially N’Golo Kante’s displays for France. I’m a massive admirer and try to model my game on him. I operate in a similar role to him. I’m a ball-winning midfielder with decent technical ability. However, I still need to work on becoming a more rounded player.
Whenever he talks to us about the competition, he really hammers home the human aspect. Our main objective is to gain experience. Beyond that, I believe we’re capable of achieving something special. The beauty of these competitions is that they always throw up surprises
All three of them are top-class sides. As a small nation, all of the matches are going to be amazing experiences for us. Having said that, the one player I can’t wait to face is Morocco’s Abdellah Ouazane [who plays for Ajax’s reserve team]. He’s a top talent and is already making waves across Europe.
Yes, of course. I dream about playing in Spain’s La Liga. I’ve still got a long way to go, but if the opportunity presents itself, it’s certainly one I wouldn’t pass up.
