2023-07-06 19:12:45
First, because the newcomer arrives with the pressure to score goals. As summed up by his new coach Hernan Losada, Kwadwo Opoku arrives in Montreal with the expectation of producing goals, assists, good plays, 1 on 1 actions, speed, running behind the defense… In short, all of the things he did with LAFC.
It’s a different profile from our other offensive options, a player with speed, a good dribbler, who can play as a winger or as a second striker… I think he will help us, summed up Losada.
But also because the Ghanaian striker, whom everyone in soccer calls Mahala, has a reputation that precedes him. At 21, he has already played 60 MLS season games, including 35 as a starter in Los Angeles, with 9 goals scored. Its potential makes many salivate.
Kwadwo “Mahala” Opoku made his MLS debut of 2020 when he was just 19 years old.
Photo : Getty Images / Kevork Djansezian
What few know, however, is that the boy’s nickname has different meanings, which say a lot about the player — with a little imagination. Here are two.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, “Mahala” is a Zulu term used in South Africa as a synonym for free, particularly when talking about getting something effortlessly. Surprising when you consider that the young man cost $1,650,000 in general allowance amount, an amount that CF Montreal had been willing to pay for a while.
This is a profile that Olivier [Renard, chef de la direction]Vasil [Cremanzidis, directeur adjoint] and the group of recruiters had been looking for a long time, revealed Hernan Losada.
They wanted to get him before I even got hired, so it’s been a long-standing interest. It’s a bit like Bryce’s situation [Duke]; the club was interested in Mahala before my arrival, but we are on the same wavelength management and me. I am very happy with his arrival.
The wavelength should also be on point in the locker room, in the opinion of Bryce Duke.
For him, the term Mahala perhaps takes the Arabic meaning of the word, which can be translated as place, or place. The 22-year-old American midfielder met “Mahala” in Los Angeles, where they were just kids trying to break into MLS.
Bryce Duke (right) also started his MLS career at LAFC, where he knew Kwadwo “Mahala” Opoku
Photo : AP / Rick Bowmer
He and I signed around the same time with LAFC, Duke said. We were 18, we were a bit childish and we quickly became friends.
“He’s a very good player, with a lot of speed, who can score goals and play in the flanks. He’s a very humble guy, everyone gets on well with him. He will be a good addition to our group, both on the field and in the locker room. »
— A quote from Bryce Duke
And attendant Kwadwo
His addition to the group, which will bring something extra to the team, believes Hernan Losada, will however have to wait. The arrival of Opoku still has no date, still stuck at the administrative transfer stage. Maybe today, maybe next week, Losada said.
For now, Kwadwo Opoku, like Lassi Lappainalinen and Romell Quioto, will be missing on Saturday when Atlanta United visit Saputo Stadium.
Mathieu Choinière, victim of a sprained ankle against Nashville on June 21, resumed training on Thursday, and it would be surprising to see him in action in two days. CF Montreal could, however, count on the return of its captain Samuel Piette, who is expected on the substitutes’ bench at kick-off on Saturday.
Welcome reinforcement against a team that you should always be wary of … like all the formations of the Eastern Conference of MLS, recalls Hernan Losada.
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Atlanta is a good team with a lot of individual qualities. It is an organization that constantly invests millions in order to compete for the MLS Cup. It’s going to be a complicated game, but it’s an opportunity to rebuild our reputation at home, after allowing a home goal in the last game.
On Saturday, CF Montreal leaves for a round in front of its supporters, a clear advantage in a crucial game in the standings [NDLR: ils le sont tous]concludes Bryce Duke.
The ranking is congested. In one match, you can go from 5th to 12th place. All points are important, and we have to make sure to get as many as possible to finish among the top 8 and reach the playoffs.
Wise words for one of the young executives of the team.
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