Yira Sor at KRC Genk 2022/23: From the Czech Republic to a title race in Belgium – scout report

As the January transfer window opened, Belgian Pro League leaders Genk knew that to stay in this position and keep the momentum going, they likely needed to strengthen the squad. And strengthen they did, with one of the signings being 22-year-old Nigerian winger Yira Sor, who joined from Czech Republic side Slavia Praha for a relatively modest transfer fee of around €6.5 million.

While Sor has not slotted straight into the starting lineup for the Belgian side, he offers Vrancken some much-needed versatility off the bench, as well as a pacey option down the flanks that fits perfectly into the tactics that the Genk boss utilises. This tactical analysis and scout report will take a look at some of the strengths that the young Nigerian has in his skill set, as well as what he offers Wouter Vrancken at Genk. 

Player profile 

The image above shows the 22-year-old Nigerian’s heat map this season, from both his time with Slavia Praha and Genk. Sor has normally been deployed as a right winger, but he does not play an inverted role, with him being right-footed and playing on the right. This prevents the 22-year-old from being able to cut inside on his preferred foot during the attacking phases of play. 

However, Sor also enjoys drifting centrally, with him usually looking to drift inside from the right wing when in possession to get shots off or to contribute with his passing ability. This is partly down to the fact that, as previously mentioned, he does not play as an inverted winger, which prevents him from just cutting inside on his favoured foot and shooting at goal. This scout report will look at some of the strongest skills in Sor’s game and show just what he could bring to Wouter Vrancken’s attack at Genk.