2026-08-12, 01:49 PM - Word count:
Today we are going in depth to examine how Nick Kasak’s rookie season at Kaapstad has fared since he move from Adowa Accra FC in the SSL Academy.
For Accra, Kasak operated as a left footed winger playing on both flanks – either turning his man on the right, or crossing from the byline on the left, eventually providing good link up play with Blasie N’Kufo and Mullet Man, as well as a few audacious efforts himself.
While he was not one of the very top, Kasak was one of the players as part of the conversation. Especially considering there were lots of left sided wingers who were doing just as well if not better.
Come the draft, Nick went 10th Overall to Hollywood, and signing their rookie contract for South African based Kaapstad FC, moving not only across the continent, but across the pitch. An intensive pre-season moved Nick from a most left sided attacker to a defensive midfield general-in-waiting. Improving his work rate and his already high pace instead to dictate the game alongside fellow Season 26 Draftee Felix Pedro, who themselves would be slightly higher up the pitch.
Alongside this big shift, Nick was also handed the responsibility of taking corners, utilising his natural strengths of placing a cross and picking out a pass.
Thankfully expectations have been low for such a move across the pitch, but with Kasak’s TPE now reaching near the top of his class, Season 27 already looks more promising.
Let’s take a lot at the cold hard numbers of the thing. How has he ranked compared to other Minors’ players, his teammates and his Academy Class. I have only selected what I see as relevant stats to his position.
Appearances: 15 – Nick has been lucky to be ever present for Kaapstad this season. Other rookies have had to share responsibilites.
Average Rating: 7.03 (A single 10.0 rating doing a lot of heavy lifting here)
Minors Overall: 41st (1st is Silver Tarandus
with 8.05)
Kaapstad: 2nd= with Duncan Walrusson, 1st is Bad Wolf with 7.45
S26: 8th (1st is Jack Pow
)
Player of The Match: 1
Overall: 14th= (1st is Arsene N’Goussou
)
Kaapstad: 2nd= with Pedro, von Wolfe and Walrusson. Bad Wolf had 2 PoM
S26: 3rd= (Jack Pow and Umaq Yupanqui 
both have 2 PoMs)
Distance Run (km): 215.9
Overall: 9th Thomas Schwarte is 1st with 220.1km
Kaapstad: 1st Joshua Homme III Esquire Ltd and Bad Wolf only 3 and 5 km behind respectively
S26: 3rd Sadie Black and STAR SCREAM are 1st and 2nd
Goals: 2
Overall: 63rd= Ozzy Trent Kovacs and Mikko Rashford II 
are joint top with 16 (more than a goal a game)
Kaapstad: 6th= After a slow start, Dante von Wolfe finished the season with 6 goals, and every outfield player but one scored this season.
S26: 10th= Dennis van Huntelrooy lead the rookies with 8 goals.
Assists: 3
Overall: 35th= Jay Cue Jr. 
(13) came 1st
Kaapstad: 4th Despite taking corners, they weren’t super effective, and Bad Wolf made 7 great assists for the team in 1st place.
S26: 14th= Alex Pena came top with 10 assists.
Successful Passes: 512
Overall: 48th Resetti Moretti
made 874 succesful passes for Masques Sacres
Kaapstad: 2nd Kaz Okada made nearly 100 more successful passes with 601
S26: 12th Jimothy Erickson
came top of the rookies with 744 passes
Pass %: 87.97
Overall: 40th Benecio Aguilera III was top with 95.89%
Kaapstad: 4th Okada (91.62%) once again came 1st, the only Kaapstad player with over 90%
S26: 12th Le Chonk 93.57%
Key Passes: 64
Overall: 5th in 1st, Bob Berendsen made 94 key passes
Kaapstad: 1st Nearly double Bad Wolf (34) in second place, this is maybe Kasak’s strength this season is making the killer balls and key passes from that deep midfield position.
S26: 2nd Sadie Black made 71 Key Passes this season and is top of the rookies here.
Chances Created: 15
Overall: 11th= Silver Tarandus and Bob Berendsen of ASP topped the leaderboard jointly with 24
Kaapstad: 1st Bad Wolf (14) right behind, this stat is probably padded by being the main corner taker.
S26: 4th Sadie Black (22) was just behind the overall minors’ leaders.
Dribbles: 25
Overall: 31st= Silver Tarandus once again tops the chart with 52.
Kaapstad: 3rd Bad Wolf (30) and Homme (27) ahead here, but the three of them have been the engine of this side all season.
S26: 8th Kairo Vox has 35 dribbles. What a mess.
Tackles Won: 29
Overall: 63rd= Matt Stro
got 70 for Krung Thep
Kaapstad: 5th Middle of the pack, and far behind Bad Wolf (49) and Homme (45) – a reminder Kasak needs to work on defensive duties if he wants to succeed at CDM
S26: 18th Scorp E. Unshark won 55 tackles
Tackles %: 80.56
Overall: 42nd 3 players got 100% - but only made one tackle. Wang Zhihao
got 94.12%
Kaapstad: 6th Xuxu Jang (89.13%) takes top spot here, showing not only does Nick not make tackles, he doesn’t do them well.
S26: 13th Emmanuel Ofusu (93.75%) has the cleanest tackle in the class.
Interceptions: 39
Overall: Jay Cue Jr. came top with 51
Kaapstad: 2nd Homme (43) made more, so at least this stat looks healthy for Nick
S26: 6th= Saphira Brightscales made 45
Clearances: 46
Overall: 9th Mecha Zilla
tops this with a monster 62.
Kaapstad: 1st Just hoof it clear!
S26: 4th Eric Duic made 60 clearances
Yellow Cards: 6
Overall: 8th= Florian Gaisberg and Cameron Millwall both got 8
Kaapstad: 1st= with Homme Need to work on the discipline next season.
S26: 3rd= STAR SCREAM and Christopher Bergmann both got 7
It seems the transition hsa not been without issue. A solid rookie season, but his star is not shining bright just yet. In goal contributions, Kasak is middling, despite the ample opportunity to assist with corners. Perhaps this will be an area he chooses to focus in the off season?
Defensively, the picture looks only marginally more promising, with Nick finally getting his hands dirty and defending.
But its the progessive play that I am most excited about. Key passes, chances created. Making sure Kasak has the eye and the ability to make the pass when needed - thats the sort of midfield he would like to be. That and crashing into the box out of nowhere to score an absolute screamer.
What grade would we give to Kasak? C+
For Accra, Kasak operated as a left footed winger playing on both flanks – either turning his man on the right, or crossing from the byline on the left, eventually providing good link up play with Blasie N’Kufo and Mullet Man, as well as a few audacious efforts himself.
While he was not one of the very top, Kasak was one of the players as part of the conversation. Especially considering there were lots of left sided wingers who were doing just as well if not better.
Come the draft, Nick went 10th Overall to Hollywood, and signing their rookie contract for South African based Kaapstad FC, moving not only across the continent, but across the pitch. An intensive pre-season moved Nick from a most left sided attacker to a defensive midfield general-in-waiting. Improving his work rate and his already high pace instead to dictate the game alongside fellow Season 26 Draftee Felix Pedro, who themselves would be slightly higher up the pitch.
Alongside this big shift, Nick was also handed the responsibility of taking corners, utilising his natural strengths of placing a cross and picking out a pass.
Thankfully expectations have been low for such a move across the pitch, but with Kasak’s TPE now reaching near the top of his class, Season 27 already looks more promising.
Let’s take a lot at the cold hard numbers of the thing. How has he ranked compared to other Minors’ players, his teammates and his Academy Class. I have only selected what I see as relevant stats to his position.
Appearances: 15 – Nick has been lucky to be ever present for Kaapstad this season. Other rookies have had to share responsibilites.
Average Rating: 7.03 (A single 10.0 rating doing a lot of heavy lifting here)
Minors Overall: 41st (1st is Silver Tarandus
with 8.05) Kaapstad: 2nd= with Duncan Walrusson, 1st is Bad Wolf with 7.45
S26: 8th (1st is Jack Pow
)Player of The Match: 1
Overall: 14th= (1st is Arsene N’Goussou
) Kaapstad: 2nd= with Pedro, von Wolfe and Walrusson. Bad Wolf had 2 PoM
S26: 3rd= (Jack Pow and
Umaq Yupanqui both have 2 PoMs)Distance Run (km): 215.9
Overall: 9th Thomas Schwarte
is 1st with 220.1kmKaapstad: 1st Joshua Homme III Esquire Ltd and Bad Wolf only 3 and 5 km behind respectively
S26: 3rd Sadie Black and STAR SCREAM are 1st and 2nd
Goals: 2
Overall: 63rd= Ozzy Trent Kovacs
and Mikko Rashford II are joint top with 16 (more than a goal a game)Kaapstad: 6th= After a slow start, Dante von Wolfe finished the season with 6 goals, and every outfield player but one scored this season.
S26: 10th= Dennis van Huntelrooy lead the rookies with 8 goals.
Assists: 3
Overall: 35th= Jay Cue Jr.
(13) came 1stKaapstad: 4th Despite taking corners, they weren’t super effective, and Bad Wolf made 7 great assists for the team in 1st place.
S26: 14th= Alex Pena
came top with 10 assists.Successful Passes: 512
Overall: 48th Resetti Moretti
made 874 succesful passes for Masques SacresKaapstad: 2nd Kaz Okada made nearly 100 more successful passes with 601
S26: 12th Jimothy Erickson
came top of the rookies with 744 passesPass %: 87.97
Overall: 40th Benecio Aguilera III
was top with 95.89% Kaapstad: 4th Okada (91.62%) once again came 1st, the only Kaapstad player with over 90%
S26: 12th Le Chonk
93.57% Key Passes: 64
Overall: 5th in 1st, Bob Berendsen
made 94 key passes Kaapstad: 1st Nearly double Bad Wolf (34) in second place, this is maybe Kasak’s strength this season is making the killer balls and key passes from that deep midfield position.
S26: 2nd Sadie Black
made 71 Key Passes this season and is top of the rookies here.Chances Created: 15
Overall: 11th= Silver Tarandus and Bob Berendsen of ASP
topped the leaderboard jointly with 24Kaapstad: 1st Bad Wolf (14) right behind, this stat is probably padded by being the main corner taker.
S26: 4th Sadie Black
(22) was just behind the overall minors’ leaders.Dribbles: 25
Overall: 31st= Silver Tarandus
once again tops the chart with 52. Kaapstad: 3rd Bad Wolf (30) and Homme (27) ahead here, but the three of them have been the engine of this side all season.
S26: 8th Kairo Vox
has 35 dribbles. What a mess.Tackles Won: 29
Overall: 63rd= Matt Stro
got 70 for Krung Thep Kaapstad: 5th Middle of the pack, and far behind Bad Wolf (49) and Homme (45) – a reminder Kasak needs to work on defensive duties if he wants to succeed at CDM
S26: 18th Scorp E. Unshark
won 55 tacklesTackles %: 80.56
Overall: 42nd 3 players got 100% - but only made one tackle. Wang Zhihao
got 94.12%Kaapstad: 6th Xuxu Jang (89.13%) takes top spot here, showing not only does Nick not make tackles, he doesn’t do them well.
S26: 13th Emmanuel Ofusu
(93.75%) has the cleanest tackle in the class.Interceptions: 39
Overall: Jay Cue Jr.
came top with 51Kaapstad: 2nd Homme (43) made more, so at least this stat looks healthy for Nick
S26: 6th= Saphira Brightscales
made 45Clearances: 46
Overall: 9th Mecha Zilla
tops this with a monster 62.Kaapstad: 1st Just hoof it clear!
S26: 4th Eric Duic
made 60 clearancesYellow Cards: 6
Overall: 8th= Florian Gaisberg
and Cameron Millwall both got 8Kaapstad: 1st= with Homme Need to work on the discipline next season.
S26: 3rd= STAR SCREAM
and Christopher Bergmann both got 7It seems the transition hsa not been without issue. A solid rookie season, but his star is not shining bright just yet. In goal contributions, Kasak is middling, despite the ample opportunity to assist with corners. Perhaps this will be an area he chooses to focus in the off season?
Defensively, the picture looks only marginally more promising, with Nick finally getting his hands dirty and defending.
But its the progessive play that I am most excited about. Key passes, chances created. Making sure Kasak has the eye and the ability to make the pass when needed - thats the sort of midfield he would like to be. That and crashing into the box out of nowhere to score an absolute screamer.
What grade would we give to Kasak? C+
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