Sam Mbonu
For every young African kid growing up, playing professional soccer or football as the sport is known in the continent has always been their dream. Most have soccer icons whom they idolize, and they aspire to play like their idols.
Farai Mutatu’s dreams and aspirations represent that of millions of kids scattered all over the continent and that dreams came to fruition on January 11th, 2022, when five times MLS champions, LA Galaxy selected him 21 overall in round 1 of the 2022 MLS Super Draft.
LA Galaxy acquired the pick from Nashville SC via the trade of Ethan Zubak.
Born in Zimbabwe, Farai Mutatu migrated to the US in 2006 and since then he is yet to see his parents.
He had a stellar college career with the University of Michigan, the Spartans. He scored 7 goals for the Spartans in his freshman year and earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.
As a senior, Farai Mutatu finished the season fifth in the Big Ten. He also placed fourth in the league in points per game, (PPG) averaging 1.00 ppg.
Mutatu started all 17 games for the Spartans. His biggest highlight of the season was when he scored a hat trick in a 4-3 come-from-behind win against Notre Dame on Sept. 14.
His versatility as a forward caught the eyes of LA Galaxy.
Another young soccer prodigy of African descent that was selected in the 1st round of 2022 MLS Super Draft is Tani Oluwaeyi a 21-year-old Nigerian-born Canadian who was selected by Minnesota United 17th overall in round one.
Tani oluwaseyi goal-scoring prowess is evident in his 20-goal haul in 49 games played over 4 years for St Jon’s University.
His productive year was in 2019 when he racked up a season-high of 11 goals.
Despite being sidelined by a knee injury in 2021, Oluwaseyi fought his way back to make two appearances in the 2021 regular-season finale and the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. In his junior year, Oluwaseyi was named to the First Team All-Big East and Big East Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
In his best season, as a sophomore, he was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, made First Team All-Big East, and his 11 goals hold the record for the highest in a season by a St. John’s player since 2003.
Oluwaseyi versatility is his movement in the box which makes him a dangerous player when in goal sight, his pace and speed is a great assets he uses to displace opposing defenders and, he is good in the air and always looks to get in behind and move the defenders thereby creating chances to unleash his ferocious shot that he is known for.
Another young soccer talent who made it to the MLS via the 2022 Super draft is 21-year-old Stanford winger, Ousseni Bouda from Burkina Faso who was selected 8th overall by San Jose Earthquakes.
One of the NCAA's most dynamic attackers during his two seasons at Stanford, Bouda started 17 games for Stanford in 2021 where he scored 5 goals with 9 assists.
A native of Burkina Faso in West Africa and identified by Ghana's Right to Dream Academy, Bouda moved to the United States to play at the Millbrook School in New York state, where he scored 156 goals in 82 games and garnered Gatorade Player of the Year honors. That earned him his scholarship to Stanford, where he was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2019 and was a first-team all-conference selection both seasons he played.
As an all-around winger, Bouda can play anywhere, both left and right-wings. His pace on the flanks will be a great addition to Matias Almeyda San Jose Earthquake but more especially he will feel at home at the Quakes because he is still in the same market where he played college soccer.
So San Jose Earthquake fans should be expecting some explosiveness and a lot of fun to watch and some skills as well with the arrival of young Burkina Faso's new kid on the block, Ousseni Bouda.
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