Adekugbe hoping for more memorable moments in Qatar

Beyond the headlines and clicks devoted to emerging stars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, Canada’s World Cup qualification introduced Canadians to many new faces on the men’s team.
 
Canada’s rising talents expressed their personalities in many signature moments. Defender Alistair Johnston showed he’s as comfortable in front of reporters and cameras as he is shutting down the opposition’s best attacker. Midfielder Tajon Buchanan showed he’s full of tricks, from his mesmerizing stepovers to his backflip goal celebration.

Sam Adekugbe created the kind of indelible moments that pulled established and new soccer fans into Canada’s World Cup journey. The 27-year-old defender’s snowbank leap during Canada’s qualification win over Mexico in Edmonton and clinching goal against the U.S. in Hamilton are unforgettable.

For Adekugbe, those moments express a joy for sport and national pride he wants to share.

“I think it brings inspiration. I think it brings excitement,” said Adekugbe. “I mean, many kids want to follow soccer players, they want to play soccer. Also, you still want to show that you are a kid yourself and you know that you like to play sports because you enjoy it.”

Adekugbe and his family moved to Calgary from England when he was a young boy. He now describes his snowbank jump as living the dream of a young, new Canadian who enjoyed winters.
 
“When you celebrate in certain ways, it’s kind of bringing out that joy like you had when you were a child,” Adekugbe said.
 
But as he watched the social media response to his snowbank jump and experienced more interactions with more fans, he understood how many Canadians were connecting to the men’s team through his celebration.

“I’m sure every Canadian has jumped into a snowbank at one point,” Adekugbe said. “So, I think bringing that attention and bringing that to the game, and then obviously people starting to follow the campaign, really starts to bring the country together.”

Joy, sports, and family mean so much to Adekugbe. He and his brother, Elijah, benefited from KidSport Calgary, a grassroots sports program for children. Elijah now plays with Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League, while Adekugbe is now a KidSport ambassador. Adekugbe said their soccer journeys were made possible by grassroots sports.

The night before Canada faced the U.S. last January, Adekugbe spoke to his brother about his next, big celebration. His 95th-minute goal sent Tim Hortons Field into a frenzy.

“I told [Elijah] that ‘I’m gonna score tomorrow, and then if I do score, I’m gonna do this meditation pose,’” said Adekugbe.
 
“And so, when I scored and I heard the stadium go crazy, I remembered what I told my brother, and I went to the corner flag. It was just something, I really can’t explain, trying to strike a meditation [pose] with the whole stadium and the whole country going crazy. It was just something that I will never forget.”

 
Adekugbe is asked to be an important part of Canada’s pace and stamina. Throughout Canada’s qualifying win against the U.S. last January, Adekugbe consistently led the counterattack by sprinting forward from his left-back position. He scored his memorable goal running behind the American’s defence.
 
Adekugbe credits Canadian head coach John Herdman for taking the time to inspire him. By his mid-20s, Adekugbe’s career had taken him from Vancouver in Major League Soccer to the Allsvenskan in Sweden and Eliteserien in Norway, but Herdman told Adekugbe to demand more of himself.

“[Herdman] knew my ability. He knew what I can do, but he wanted me to be more aggressive in my mindset,” Adekugbe said. “Not just tactics or things on the pitch, but just more aggressive in the mind of take more responsibility, be more aggressive in your play, and just really, really like push the envelope.”
 
Adekugbe now regularly plays with Hatayspor in Turkey’s Süper Lig, started both of Canada’s friendlies in the September international window, and could potentially start matches at the World Cup.

While the rest of Canada was captivated by Adekugbe’s expression of joy, his teammates know that trait alone does not make Adekugbe a trusted piece in the national team. His teammates value his work rate.

“Honestly, I’ve never seen that guy run up and down a pitch like this. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t, but [Adekugbe], he just keeps going,” said Davies. “He doesn’t stop.”

As he looks ahead to possibly facing Kevin De Bruyne and Belgium on Nov. 23, Adekugbe moves away from talking about the joy of inspiring a nation to the work it will take to make an impression on soccer’s biggest stage.

“It’s not a matter of being nervous or being scared,” Adekugbe said. “It’s a matter of saying to yourself, ‘I want to see how I go up against the best players in the world.” Because, ultimately, that why you play soccer.”