Burkina U-17 Captain Wants To Emulate Michael Essien

Burkina Faso captain Sounkalo Sanou is drawing inspiration from Ghanaian superstar Michael Essien ahead of their Fifa Under-17 World Cup clash with Panama on Monday. The 17-year-old says he wants to model the Chelsea star�s behaviour on and off the field, praising the midfielder�s talent, elegance and leadership. �Essien is my role model. There are lots of great teams, but my favourites are Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille. Intriguingly enough, Essien made the breakthrough with OL.� Essien first appeared on a major footballing stage at the Under-17 world finals back in 1999, when he played for the Black Starlets in New Zealand.