At just 20 years old, Ismail Kony has made his mark, whether at club, at Watford or in the national team.
Kony showed his pace and power on Tuesday in an impressive midfield performance alongside Stephen Eustachio and Jonathan Osorio as Canada beat Honduras 4-1 in the CONCACAF Nations League.
“This is probably one of the best midfield performances I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said coach John Herdman.
It only comes with his 11th cap for Kony and his fourth start for the national team.
Kony also won the hearts of fans at England’s Watford, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the second-tier club after appearing in all three of Canada’s World Cup matches, in Qatar.
Born in Ivory Coast, Kony was seven years old when he arrived in Montreal. He signed a professional contract with CF Montreal in August 2021. He made his Major League Soccer debut in February 2022, playing 25 matches.
For Cooney, moving to England is another step in his rapid rise.
“I’m only 20 and I can play on the world stage,” he said in Qatar. It’s incredible. I didn’t have a professional contract two years ago, but here I am. »
“Kony is always very strong, very physically,” Eustachio praised before Tuesday’s meeting.
Laren sunny days
Kyle Lahren is also having a good time, but we’re talking more about rebirth in his case.
After seeing his playing time significantly diminish with Besiktas in Turkey, Larín found form in Spain, with Real Valladolid.
The Canadian scored five goals in eight matches in the Spanish League.
The 27-year-old Antarian continued his streak in the Nations League, scoring three times in two matches against Curacao and Honduras. He could have added a fourth, but the penalty went past the net in Tuesday’s victory.
“When he got to the World Cup, he played about 100 minutes for Besiktas in four months,” said Herdmann. It’s not Cyla Larin. It wasn’t the same as we saw in the qualifying session.
“We had a few players who weren’t in the rhythm of the game, if I may say so, at the World Cup. But he’s back on top now. […] He is a man who will help us win this competition. »
Larraine is Canada’s all-time leading scorer, with 28 goals in 60 caps.
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