MY ACCOUNT
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is “enjoying the adventure” of Anthony Elanga’s development, as the pair prepare to team up for Sweden in this month’s World Cup qualifiers.
The veteran Milan striker and young Manchester United forward could both come into play for Janne Andersson’s side in their play-off campaign in UEFA qualifying for Qatar 2022.
Sweden face the Czech Republic and, if victorious, will play Poland for a spot at this year’s tournament, though Ibrahimovic is suspended for the first encounter.
Even if he is restricted to a spectator role, the attacker is looking forward to seeing his compatriot in action, sharing memories of their first meeting when together at Old Trafford.
“We’re all happy and we’re enjoying the adventure he is on,” Ibrahimovic said.
“He just started and he’s on the way up so it’s good. You will have something to watch for another 20 years,
“First time I met him, we were in the restaurant in the [United] training ground. He came up to me and he said, ‘you know my father’.
“I was like, help me now because I don’t know who I’m talking to. ‘You played with my father Elanga’, and then everything clicked and I said ‘OK’.
“It made me happy because I wasn’t the only Swedish one in Manchester, we had another Swedish player.
Ibrahimovic played alongside Elanga’s father Joseph, a former Cameroon international, during his formative years at Malmo in his home country.
Elanga was born in Malmo in 2002. The United winger would have been eligible to play for Cameroon and England, in addition to Sweden, but opted for the Blue and Yellow after representing them at youth level.
