Whitecaps' Adekugbe (Achilles) out for the season
Published
Sam Adekugbe's season is over.
The Vancouver Whitecaps confirmed on Thursday that the London-born left-back had torn his Achilles in Canada's 0-0 draw with Cote d'Ivoire this past Tuesday.
“Sam has demonstrated tremendous dedication and resilience in his journey back to full fitness, which makes this setback even more heartbreaking,” Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. “He’ll need time to process this moment, and throughout his recovery, he’ll have the unwavering support of everyone at the club. Sam is part of our family, and we’re all behind him as he begins his road to recovery.”
Raised in Calgary, Adekugbe is in his second stint with the club. The 30-year-old defender returned to the team in 2023 after eight seasons abroad with stints at Galatasaray, Hatayspor and Brighton.
He had made 12 appearances for the Whitecaps across all competitions this season.
With Adekugbe out, Zorhan Bassong has been called into the Canada squad for next week's Gold Cup.
The Sporting Kansas City defender has three previous Canada caps.
The Toronto native most recently appeared in Canada's 4-2 victory over Ukraine on the weekend.
A product of the Lille academy, Bassong has made 13 appearances for SKC this season.
Canada opens its Gold Cup against Honduras at Vancouver's BC Place on June 17.