Calgary-born Akindele is ready to make soccer history

Jarome Iginla is one of his favourite athletes, and he knows Calgary is more than just a Stampede city.

Professional soccer player Tesho Akindele may have moved away from Calgary at a young age, but his city of birth has a special place in his heart.

“It’s a really underrated city,” he said with a smile. “People might think it’s cold, but the city is beautiful, especially in the summertime. It’s one of those hidden gems more people need to know about.”

The 30-year-old striker recently hit the 100-match milestone with Orlando City SC of Major League Soccer (MLS). He also scored a pair of game-winning goals this summer, helping propel his team into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Called shot. @Tesho13 | #DaleMiAmor pic.twitter.com/flLIbBgKRT

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) August 29, 2022

But the MLS post-season isn’t the only thing on his mind. So is this week’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open — the oldest ongoing national soccer competition south of the border.

The knockout tournament culminates Wednesday between Akindele’s Orlando side and Sacramento Republic FC of the United Soccer League Championship. An Orlando victory would not only mark the first trophy since the team’s 2015 debut, but it would also be the first time a Calgary-born player would be a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open champion.

“Early on in the Cup runs, what you see from a lot of MLS teams — and I think you saw this from us somewhat — is a lot of rotation from teams,” he said. “I think some MLS teams might take the early rounds as a way to throw out the guys who are fresh and see what happens.

“But then, as you start to get toward the quarterfinals, semifinals and now definitely in the finals, it becomes the main focus. A trophy is a trophy. The chance to win this for our fans — the first trophy for this club at an MLS level. We understand that’s huge. One hundred per cent of our attention is on winning that Cup and giving the fans the trophy they deserve.”

For all the glory @opencup | #MagicOfTheCup pic.twitter.com/JKLAZCpRHf

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) September 1, 2022

At 30, Akindele says he still has plenty to give at the professional level and on the international front.

He’s represented Canada nearly 20 times since debuting in 2015, and he hopes he’s on Canadian men’s national team head coach John Herdman’s radar with a pair of friendlies coming up later this month, and of course — the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The full feature is coming next week, but I had a fantastic chat with Calgary-born Tesho Akindele. He's had a great stretch with Orlando City. Could a #CanMNT call be next, with the World Cup around the corner? pic.twitter.com/NKuRhiyyHN

— Sandra Prusina (@sprusina) September 3, 2022

“It’s a dream of every kid growing up, first of all, to represent their country, which I feel lucky to have even done that,” he explained. “I’m just one of the few people who have been able to represent Canada at the highest level. So that’s a huge honour for me.

“Going to the World Cup is just another level. It’s something a lot of Canadian players, myself included, maybe thought was out of the question not too long ago. We hadn’t qualified for the World Cup since the 1980s, and it seemed like a far-off dream. Now, it’s there. We’re qualified. We’re going.

“I really hope to be on that team when they get a call, but the truth is we have an extremely deep team, especially at the forward position that I play. I’m going to do everything I can, but if I’m not there, you can believe I’ll be the number one fan.”

Could his future include a stint in the Canadian Premier League?

“It’s always on the table, for sure,” Akindele offered. “That league has seen a lot of growth. The teams are getting better, competing at the highest level for the Canadian Championship against MLS teams, CONCACAF Championship. That’s amazing.

“All credit to the league and the people who have been behind that push. It’s not easy to start something from scratch. But, what they’ve done is really impressive.”

As for what happens after he wraps his playing days, a quick glance at his social media feeds shows Akindele’s passion for real estate and urban planning.

What if I told you we could..

•Be healthier
•Improve transit
•Create more jobs
•Increase diversity
•Have better schools
•Help the environment
•Build more affordable housing
•Create more social connections

It all starts by building better neighborhoods

— Tesho Akindele (@Tesho13) August 30, 2022

“I’m a big believer in financial education first, which is where I got my interest in real estate,” he said. “Retirement comes for all professional athletes, and it’s smart to invest your money wisely. For me, that tool has been real estate. And then I’ve taken it to another level. It’s called urbanism. It’s about building better cities.

“Calgary is a great example of that, as I’ve done my research. Calgary is doing a lot of things with public transportation and building walkable neighbourhoods. I’m a big fan of that.

“Real estate can be not only a tool for investment, which is how I started, but also a tool to make people’s lives better.”

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off at 6 p.m. MT on Sept. 7 at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla.