DOHA, Qatar | Alphonso Davies is the undisputed star of the Canadian team and as such, he is jealously protected at Canada Soccer. On Tuesday, he finally met the media.
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On Sunday, after scoring the country’s first-ever World Cup goal, Davies spoke briefly to the official broadcaster, but didn’t stop in front of Canadian reporters waiting in the mixed zone.
He explained that he didn’t want all the attention to be directed at him after his feat.
“Yes the goal was important, but I wanted to talk about the team. I was happy to score, but we lost the match.
“I wanted to let the dust settle a bit before I talk about this goal. I was devastated to know that we were eliminated.
proud parents
We must remember the story of the young 22-year-old star who made the heyday of Bayern Munich, in the Bundesliga.
He was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parent fled war in Liberia. It was in 2005 that the family moved to Canada to settle in Alberta.
His parents, who are in Doha, witnessed his achievement and Davies spoke about it with a touch of emotion.
“When I scored, my mother cried. Leaving a refugee camp to come to Canada and then score [à la Coupe du monde]it is an exploit.
“It was important for them to see me score that goal. When I was young, they couldn’t see me play,” he explained.
Why? Quite simply because he left the family nest at 14 to join the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy.
jostled
When Davies was asked to recount how he experienced the goal, he of course described the sequence of events leading up to that magical header after just 67 seconds of play.
But it’s mostly what happened afterwards that makes the scene even more interesting.
“Guys were pulling my jersey, pushing me, I even got headbutted.”
Jonathan Osorio, who met the media before Davies, also had his story on this achievement.
“It was amazing, it’s the kind of moment that gives you goosebumps that you remember for the rest of your life. It’s a testament to our progress and the sacrifices we’ve made to be here.
“We inspire a lot of young people in our respective cities. Young Canadians must dream of going beyond the first round and not just playing at the World Cup.
Trust
As Davies could not be spoken to after the game against Belgium, there was obviously talk of his penalty kick which was blocked by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Many have wondered why it was he, a full-back, who showed up from the penalty spot rather than Jonathan David, a striker who scores with regularity in the French Ligue 1.
“I took the penalty shot because I felt confident. I present myself a penalty point, I choose a direction and the goalkeeper reads my intention well.
“Yes I went over the images in my head in the evening, but I couldn’t do it for too long to move on to the next game.”
become a leader
After this World Cup, there may be some turnover in the Canadian squad.
Veterans like Atiba Hutchinson (39), Steven Vitoria (35) and Milan Borjan (35), are at risk of giving way to younger players ahead of the next round of four leading up to the 2026 World Cup which will take place in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Does Davie want to become the leader of this team and why the captain to succeed Hutchinson? He answered this question cautiously.
“These guys went through several qualifying cycles before playing at the World Cup, they have a lot of experience.
“I want to be a leader, help my teammates and I want to do that any way I can.”