Maple Ridge's T.J. Tahid has reached yet another milestone in his young football career, since joining the Vancouver Football Club (VFC) in 2023.
The young attacker for the Langley-based pro-soccer team, the Eagles, was recently called up to Ghana’s U-20 national team in a nine-day, friendly mini-tournament that wrapped in Morocco Tuesday.
This invitation serves as another opportunity for Tahid to showcase his skill set on the international stage, after he last represented the Canadian Men’s U-17 National Team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in November 2023.
Just days after his 16th birthday, Tahid became the youngest player to ever play in a Canadian Premier League match. Then he became the youngest goalscorer in league history, after joining the VFC's Eagles as a midfielder in May 2023.
He began playing soccer at age three, and played at various levels as a youngster, including joining his father's VanCity Pro Football Academy, first as a player and then as a teacher.
Now 17, he was attending Maple Ridge Secondary before switching to online classes to enable him to juggle studies and his professional sports career.
Raised in a Ghanian-Canadian family, the VFC youngster made his debut for the Black Stars against Morocco’s U20 National Team on March 21, starting the match before being withdrawn in the 70th minute in a 1-0 loss.
Ghana’s U-20 national team travelled to Morocco as part of its preparations for the upcoming TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote D’Ivoire this April. And Tahid is hoping his involvement with this most recent four-nation tourney helped secure him a spot in next month's competition.
Tahid was relishing the opportunity to lace up for the Black Stars for the first time in his career, “I’m incredibly grateful and honoured to have the opportunity to represent my motherland and my family,” he said.
According to the Canadian Premier League, of which VFC is a part, participating in the "friendly" tournament provided Tahid a chance to be evaluated by the Ghanaian coaching staff – with a chance at being selected for the upcoming U-20 African Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to take place from April 26 to May 18.
While he waits for word about his potential involvement in the Africa Cup, the local player maintains his eligibility to represent Canada for future international calls.
Fans can also expect to catch Tahid lacing up for the Eagles in Langley at the Willoughby Community Park stadium starting next month. The team plays its home-opener on Sunday, April 6, with a 4 p.m. start against Toronto's York United.
