Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac hopes to have Mussa Kaba in the squad for their pre-season later this year as the 17-year-old teenager was recently awarded a professional contract by the BVB.
Born in Bielefeld, Kaba joined their youth academy in 2025 and helped them win the under-17 league title too. He got promoted to Dortmund's reserve team ahead of the 2025-26 season which further speaks of his growing potential.
Niko Kovac gave Kaba his first senior call-up last weekend against Eintracht Frankfurt while having joined the first team for a short training camp in January too. The BVB boss admitted that he made a positive impression:
"“We saw some pretty good things.""said Kovac about Kaba
A defensive midfielder by trade, the young gun can also operate as a centre-back. At 6ft 5in, Kaba's towering stature allows him to dominate aerial duels while also being excellent at tackling and making vital interceptions.
However, recurring injuries have stalled his development lately as Kaba now continues his recovery to full fitness in individual rehab instead of chasing first-team opportunities which he could yet secure next season.
Kovac puts his faith in Kaba to continue his recovery and hopes to have the German teen for their pre-season schedule in July.
" “He will use the time wisely to prepare himself so that he will hopefully be with the team when we start again (in the summer).”"added the Croatian
Given his talents and what he's shown with their youth sides, the Dortmund manager is sure that Kaba could become an important figure in their midfield setup in the future.
"“He will demonstrate his abilities, I am convinced of that.”"said Kovac
Kaba has made eight appearances with Dortmund's reserve team this season, including six in the Regionalliga West. He's also played 16 times for the Germany U17 team so far, even scoring one goal.
Dortmund fly to Japan for pre-season
Borussia Dortmund have announced their pre-season tour for the summer to Japan, as the side is scheduled to play Cerezo Osaka on 29 July before facing FC Tokyo on 1 August.
Officially though, their preparations for the 2026-27 season begins with a friendly to fourth-tier German side Rot-Weiß Oberhausen on 18 July, one day before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Kovac isn't likely to have many of his first-team players for the first game, especially those who'd be involved in the World Cup as those players would be given an extended break.
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