Journalist and Sunderland supporter Josh Bunting was left hailing the performance of Abdoullah Ba in their 1-0 win against Al-Shabab this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Good run-out

This afternoon's friendly enabled Tony Mowbray to look closer at his squad as they prepare for the Championship season to return next weekend.

Amad Diallo gave the Stadium of Light outfit the lead midway through the first half with a cool finish, while Mowbray made nine changes for the second, and the team managed to see the game out.

The Latest: Ba impressive

Taking to Twitter, Bunting was extremely complimentary of Diallo after his finish, but also heaped praise on Ba, claiming that the central midfielder showed 'a lot of class':

"Abdoullah Ba technically has so much ability, just needs to toughen up a little in terms of his physical attributes. Just need to find the right balance with him, how he picks his passes is something I love about him. Showed a lot of class this afternoon, that game was a good fit."

The Verdict: Needs more starts

Ba has received plenty of plaudits when he has played this term, but the Frenchman has simply not been on the pitch often enough.

He has only made eight appearances in the Championship so far, and has started just one match in the division, per Transfermarkt. It is easy to forget that he is only 19 years of age, as he seems to show so much maturity whenever he is on the pitch.

Nonetheless, given that Ba is a summer arrival, Black Cats supporters will no doubt want to see more of him after the World Cup break, and after this latest impressive outing, he is certainly giving Mowbray something to think about.