The Vancouver Whitecaps are ready to make a major player announcement on Tuesday morning, and while there is no clear evidence of who the player is, there are plenty of rumors swirling about where the player might be from.
There is a strong belief the player is of Africa descent after well-known Nigerian journalist Colin Udoh wrote on Twitter that a captain of an African national team was going to be announced as the first MLS Designated Player from Africa in a Tuesday press conference.
Marc Weber of The Province is reporting that the player is a forward, which would allow the Whitecaps to slide Camilo Sanvezzo to the wing.
What do you think of this development? Who are you hoping the player is?
Share your thoughts below.
who’s the south sudan captain?
DROGBA?!?!?!
WELL DONE!!!
Please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please
+100
Wild Guess based on Vancouver Tottenham ties:
Steven Pienaar – Captain South Africa
DeMerit’s retiring
I wouldn’t hold your breath.
I would think Adebayor, although didn’t he retire from Togo? If it’s Drogba, wow!
Why would someone who was courted by Chelsea and just recently signed a 4 year contract with Tottenham move to the MLS?
As much as I’d like that, Pienaar JUST signed with Tottenham – no way Vancouver (or MLS) goes for that transfer fee.
Wasn’t it reported to be the South African Shabalala? I could’ve sworn I read that last week from Avi Creditor’s Tweet.
Frederic Kanoute?
That would be nice but I have a feeling it won’t be that well known a name.
Didn’t realize he resigned. Like I said Wild Guess.
Haha like this one too, wouldn’t be that big of a suprise if he was the signing.
I’m a little confused at why they’d be doing this now. Seems like they would be better off waiting until the winter transfer window, financially. The chances of them making the post season this year is nil
Not a forward but fits the 30 year old Mid-Table EPL team mold : Joseph Yobo – Nigeria
Well they need all the help they can get! XP
seriously though that would be so cool if it was Drogba.
Kanu
That would be pretty crazy… Chelsea probably value him a lot… but they have Torres, but he isn’t doing anything…
Stephen Appiah would make sense except he’s a MF
Another guess could be : Benjani. Free agent, striker and former captain for Zimbabwe
that would be awesome just so announcers could say Shab-a-la-la!
Eto?
Eddie Johnson, Jonathan Spector, Michael Bradley, Freddy Adu, and many many more capable players without a job. Yeah M. bradley is not happenlng but then Vancouver doesnt need him when they have plyaers like M. Nanchoff sittin’ on the bench.
Benjani is back with Rovers as of two weeks ago.
+1 only one that makes any sense. drogba is still too expensive!
its probably easier to get players in the summer, off season for most clubs.
Owen Hargreaves looks likely.
link to tsn.ca
Michael Bradley to Seria A side Bologna is what I’m hearing
I know from an inside source that it’s Pablo Aimar.
Wow, I thought a few days ago that this would Tagoe for Seattle or something like that, but THE CAPTAIN OF HIS NATIONAL TEAM? A STRIKER?
Absolutely %100 its Eto’o or Drogba if these hints are right…It couldnt be anyone else with the info we are given. Some things could be wrong however.
Don’t Canadian soccer fans hate him?
Michael Essien will sign and will move to striker when he recovers from his knee injury. NOT!.
I hope that they get a good player, even if I havent heard of him.
OOh no!! Its Drogba´s Music…..
Only reasonable name I’ve come across is Niang of Fenerbahce. He was supposedly out last month, but he’s been real good for them. Who knows!
A+
Let’s try to leave his character out of this.
Well, we know the player is a) African and b) the captain of his national team, so I’m guessing John Mensah. He captained Ghana at the 2010 World Cup and spent last year on loand. Big, reliable central defender.
Whoops, I suppose Kanu is a perfectly logical choice as well. I’ll eat my foot* if it’s someone bigger than Niang or Kanu.
*Not a problem because it won’t be anyone bigger than them.
Yeah, my first thought was Yakubu but then I saw that Kanu is Nigeria’s captain, so bingo.
Nice.
Steve Nash was born in South Africa & was captain of Canadian National basketball team at 2000 Olympics. And he’s part owner of the Whitecaps. Boom.
If it’s Niang, there will be two players named Mamadou playing for Cascadia MlS clubs.
Ya, but he’s not a forward…he’s a guard.
So basically this is an announcement about an upcoming announcement?
Kanu has retired from Nigeria and it says national team captain, lol. Niang is a possibility. Drogba or Niang are linked out of their clubs and they fit the absolute description.
oh baby jesus, its drogs. thats cacacacacrazy man. man oh man, van’s got some real balls. can we put the likes of chivas usa, quakes, and crew in the nasl?
+1 hahaha great retort.
Ok I LOL’d
They’ve acquired Joseph Ngwenya for their washing machine. They needed a striker, DC United needed a washing machine. They had to pull the trigger. Huge Move
Yep. You see, often times teams like for media to be present when they have press conferences and so they announce to the media that a press conference will be happening at a predetermined time and place.
All snark aside, the announcement is news because of the anticipation of the first African DP.
Yes
Please Pienaar, Drogba. You guys are lucky if its Benjani. At least Benjani is a free agent.
Siphiwe Tshabalala would be a big coup for MLS and Vancouver too. He’s still playing for Kaiser Chiefs, so at least that is theoretically doable for Vancouver’s bankroll. Tshabalala was fantastic in the World Cup too.
that colin udoh guy just tweeted that its not Mensah, but that he cant believe its still a secret. i’m interpreting that to mean that the player is of a high caliber who has press all over him….
its Benjani as Rovers have let him go. Man, screw that. I thought it would be Drogba. Oh well. On Canadian news of late, did you guys see the up-skirt pic of Kate Middleton? Google kate toronto sun up skirt….nice rear lady!
Calm down everyone, it’s Stephen Appiah. Been reported in Italian news.
He also just tweeted that he was the captain at the u17 and not a big name. Scored 20 goals in all euro competitions last year
hes cm. & not captin
hes cm. & not captin
Also, from West Africa and under 25 years old…
I honestly can’t tell if this Drogba talk is sarcasm or just utter delusion
excellent pick up for DC United…they really need to upgrade RFK Stadium and a washing machine is a good start.
There are over 50 countries in Africa. Don’t get your hopes up.
Clever, made me laugh.
But really we should not bash South Sudan. They have been through enough. Lets not toss Vancouver on them as well.
Most likely Essien
And he didn’t score more than 20 goals in all competitions.
Because they want to keep their fan base interested. Despite their struggles, attendance is great, but they don’t want fans to think they’re not trying to improve the team.
Most beautiful city acquires most ugly soccer player.
A forward would make them pretty damn dangerous with this signing, Hassli, Chiumiento, and Camilo. Now they just need to improve defensively, what’s the story with DeMerit?
Maybe its someone from Egypt or Algeria. Can’t think of any names though.
EXCELLENT MOVE!!!!
After all those Davies dives they needed a new washing machine to help relief the load that the current one has to do all on it’s own. Should be a good pairing in the locker allowing Davies to continue his run, or shall I say trip, of form
Peter Utaka
ADEBAYOR!!!!!!!!!!!
he does need a club, he is a forward, and he was the captain of his national team. other than the small problem that he is way too good and expensive for mls its perfect sense!
Whoever it is Vancouver will still finish last in the West. Vancouver is a great city though and I hope the Canucks win the Stanley Cup next year.
Colin Udoh’s latest hint on Twitter is that it’s a West African. And that his captaincy was at U17 level.
Thank you
LOL
Do you know the captains of Djbuti and Mauritania?
Peter Utaka and Frederic Kanoute both scored 20 goals across all competitions last year…but was either ever a U17 captain?
hi?
hello?
Yeah, Utaka was captain of u 17 team. It aint Drogba, but Utaka aint bad. Oh wait,i was thinking of John. Ah hell, we suck. Corinthians is ready to fork over 40 mil for Tevez, and this is all MLS can come up with? Ah hell, we suck.
why?
you know but why.
who is frank..
i know why.
i always take care for him bec.he dont like want to die..i know she always remember me.
im abby?
neither played for u17 team.
UTAKA > Kanoute any day.
bec.he want to be a pilot from him.
but i want to be a pilot from her..
sorry frank.
i always remember you from the letter from bi bought this letter from you.but for the first thing i brought from now.that’s why im call.?
lol
John is the better guy
Patrick Vieira is of African descent
Looks like Peter Utaka.
U, jonk, and bigPepe’sPapa win.
My guess is Daniel Cousin. Captain of Gabon, and a target forward who would seem to fit Vancouver’s style..
Soulemain Coulibaly anyone?
Eric Djemba Djemba!!!!!
Dude you realize the Crew have been a quality side for years now right? Just because they are small town and small money doesn’t mean anything when we walk all over you like the rest of the league.
Mustapha Jarju. Boom!
Benny McCarthy captained South Africa at one time amd he is a striker. He is currently a free agent and is a striker.
Its a designated player… The first African designated player.
I’m the captain of your girlfriend’s djbutie.
It isn’t necessarily an African. It could be a Canadian. Oh wait, they said major player announcement, so maybe not.
Obafemi Martins?
Guess no George Weah!
I checked all the facts and most likely it’s one of the two Senegal national team players that scored 20 goals in europe last year,or Sow or Cisse. The last clue offered up was that he was NOT a known name to most and they fit the bill.
Utaka didn’t net 20 times last year though.
but he didn’t net 20 goals last year
Still nothing on the MLS website about this announcement. Hmmm.
Mustapha “Toubabo” Jarju
My sources that are very reliable in the front office say it is Cisse they have seen the jersey and everything…..
Colin Udoh has been taking special requests.
The player is Mustapha Jarju from the belgian second division.
+1
it has to be Peter Utaka…but i thought the first African DP was easily Doctor Khumalo!!!!!!!!!
i would pay him DP money any day
+another
hahahaha
John Pantsil? Not a forward though..recently released by Fulham.
Can you read? Is a he a forward? Did he score 20 goals in all competitions last year? Jeez.
Im guessing 1 of 3
Cousin…
Kanoute…
Martins…
The only West African strikers I can find that are under 25 and have possibly scored 20 goals in all competitions this year would be Teteh Bangura (from Sierra Leone, plays in Sweden) and Modibo Maiga (from Mali, plays with Sochaux).
He has the age, location (W. Africa), captaincy at U-17, and goals in Europe, but he is listed as a midfielder.
Sow and Cisse are aged 25+. Didn’t Udoh say the player is younger than 25?
Adu?
no have-sexin’ way. not for another 5 years.
After doing a bit of research I have narrowed my 3 choices down to 1
And the winner is Freddie Kanoute….Its gotta be him!!!
20 goals last year in all competitions, he will do nicely in MLS!!!!!
Niang was at OM last season, injury aside, my guess is he’ll head to England or Italy after another seasan in Turkey once he heals before he’d head here
Samuel E’to?
but he’s French. This would make sense though from an age perspective and the connection with henry. BUT he’s not a forward.
nope. too young.
Roger Milla from Cameroon.
at 33 that would make sense…. did her ever captain a national side?
Did they mean this tuesday or next tueday????
… This is officially the most bizarre pair of comments I have ever seen on SBI.
haha
Wow. I’ll enjoy your reaction when it’s not anyone like Eto’o or Drogba.
It’s Yakubu. Bank on it. Captain, check. 20+ goals, check. Nigerian, check.
lmao, i was hoping george weah
He had to have at some point. I know Diarra is the normal captain, but perhaps for a few games.
Kanoute was African footballer of the year a few years ago as well
Toto Tamuz
Diomansy Kamara?
Toubabo Jarju signed, sealed and delivered
Mons executive were left in the cold when Mustapha-Toubabo Jarju failed to show up at the club board’s meeting over a possible contract renewal.
Jarju’s contract with the Dragons of Mons is nearing its end, and club chairman Dominque Leone is eager to hand his price asset a contract renewal before big clubs comes knocking.
The former Gambia U-17 captain is understood to have a lot of offers with the bulk coming from European suitors.
WINNER!
Jarju!!!!
wow a guy from a 2nd division belgium team, is a DP in the MLS. hopes he proves his worth.
helped his team to promotion, is only 24 and the league has had some good success with Gambians so far. The DP part might be questionable at first, but i have to applaud Vancouvewr and the league for continually trying to find talent in odd places