Non-League and Academy football writer

Youcef Mezaoui is the captain of Middlesex County Football League Premier Division side Soccer Stars Fennecs, a club with roots in London’s Algerian community. Youcef played a starring role last season for Soccer Stars Fennecs (2023/24), as the club’s first team won the Middlesex Division One (East & Central), as well as maintaining an unbeaten record in that division throughout the entirety of last season. I recently spoke to the talented defensive-midfielder about some of his footballing journey, so far.

What are some of your earliest footballing memories?

Youcef: That would be when I was at CB Hounslow, as my dad used to take me there when I was a youngster, up until I was 12. It was a good experience, being at CB Hounslow. I also used to play football in my local area (Southall), and I was also the captain of my school team (Featherstone High School) for a while, which was a really good experience. So to be honest I’ve had a lot of good football experiences, all the way up until I was at university, at the University Of South Wales, for both the first and second team at the university. That was another really good experience.

Could you talk me through a bit about your background in football, prior to joining Soccer Stars Fennecs?

Youcef: So I’ve played for my university team, CB Hounslow (as a youngster), Concorde Rangers (when I was 16). I’m currently with Soccer Stars Fennecs, and this season (2024/25) is actually only my second season of playing 11-a-side football properly. Before that I’d never been consistent with 11-a-side football, because in footballing terms I was still in my shell.

Have there been any footballers that you have looked up to, to try and model your game on/around?

Youcef: One of the players who I looked up to as a youngster was Riyad Mahrez, because he was the first Algerian player to win the Premier League, and for me as an Algerian, that is something for me to really look up to and aspire to be like. But I’m a very different player to Riyad Mahrez, although another player who I’m a bit similar to in terms of playing style, is Nabil Bentaleb. He is someone who is very good at getting on the ball and distributing it, and just at being there at the right places. I’m a very aggressive footballer, and so Gary Medel is someone who I also looked up to. He can play in central defence and midfield.

Could you talk me through some of your memories of playing for Soccer Stars Fennecs (so far)?

Youcef: Winning the Division One (East & Central) was a great memory, and he went through the whole of last season unbeaten in the league, which was a really, really good achievement, and it was special playing with players from the same country as you. That is something which is an honour. I also remember losing to Exeter Old Boys on penalties, in the semi-final of the London Saturday Junior Cup during last season, which was heartbreaking. That was a learning experience, even though it was also a big disappointment. The first time that I met Zak Bettache (the first team manager at Soccer Stars Fennecs) was a great memory. He’d seen me playing in an Algerian football tournament in Chiswick, and he was very impressed  with how I’d played, which was when he invited me down to train with Soccer Stars Fennecs.

Could you talk me through a bit about last season, with Soccer Stars Fennecs, during their promotion winning season at step 8 of the Middlesex League?

Youcef: To be honest with you, I don’t think that any other team in our league really gave us a really tough game, and that’s not me being disrespectful, at all. We just had a really well balanced team, and we were more complete than the other teams. We played really well together as a team, but the one team who I thought gave us a really good game was OIR FC, who are a really good team. We scored a lot of goals last season, and we were very good going forward, as well as in defence. 

Who has been the most difficult team that you have faced (for their quality) during your time at Soccer Stars Fennecs, so far?

Youcef: I would have to say that the most difficult side that I’ve faced so far with Fennecs, is Hayes & Hillingdon. They are a very strong and well organised team, and they’ve got two very good wingers in Tobi Shodipo and Charlie Casey, and they are a team who communicate really well on the pitch.

For those who haven’t seen you play, could you describe to me what type of player you are?

Youcef: The type of player who I am is someone who gets stuck in on the pitch. I’m very good at reading the game, and I will always back my teammates on the pitch. I like to keep things quite simple on the ball, and I like to play one-twos, but I’m also a very aggressive player, and I think that I shield the ball really well. I hope to improve with my jumping and distribution in the near future, because as a defensive-midfielder that is something that is very important, especially in this league.

What are some of your hopes and aims for the remainder of this season (2024/25) with Soccer Stars Fennecs?

Youcef: I hope that we can now pick up on where he left off last season, and I hope that we can stay stronger as a team. We need to communicate more on the pitch together, as a team, and also trust each other. Trust is a big word in football, because if there is no trust, then there is no hope on the pitch. Hopefully we can win a cup this season, and also achieve promotion to step 6. They are my hopes and aims.