Alphonso Davies does not want Canada’s only World Cup memory to be his historic goal.
Whatever happens to the 22-year-old Edmonton native in the future, he will be remembered for breaking Canada’s goal drought at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
And, regardless of what happens to the 22-year-old Edmonton native in the future, he will be remembered for breaking Canada’s goal drought at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Davies, on the other hand, does not want his only World Cup highlight to be an opening goal in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Croatia.
Even though Canada has been eliminated from the 32-team tournament, there is still work to be done in its final game against Morocco on Thursday (10 a.m. ET) here at the Al Thumama Stadium.
“This team came here to make history, and that’s what we’re attempting to do,” Davies said on Tuesday. “We came out great in the first game, played brilliantly, but we didn’t win.”
“The second game, I’m happy to be able to put my name in the history books and show our good side, show the quality, and definitely in this third game, we want something out of it. We’re going to go out there and keep playing the way we’ve been playing and show that we belong on this stage.”
Canada did not come here just to score a goal and leave, so the team was devastated when it was eliminated from the tournament with a game to play.
According to Davies, he was in no mood to put his accomplishment ahead of the team’s disappointment following the loss, which is why he didn’t stop and talk to the international journalists gathered in the media mix zone after his obligatory host-broadcaster interviews.
Two days later, Davies was more comfortable reflecting on the journey, which took him from a refugee camp in Ghana to Canada and eventually to the World Cup. He was happy to share the moment with his parents here in Qatar, who sacrificed so much so their family could have a brighter future.
“After the first game, they told me how proud they were of me,” Davies said. “And when I scored the goal, my mom teared up a little bit, seeing her son coming from a refugee camp to Canada and then go and on the world’s biggest stage — they were proud of me.
“My parents are people of few words, they don’t really say too much, but they really showed me they were proud.”
“The goal started when we won the ball in midfield and passed it back to our defense,” Davies explained. “They played the ball over me, and I watched it go over my head before Cyle (Larin) brought it down with a fantastic touch and sent it to Tajon.”
“When I saw Tajon look up a couple of times, I realized I had to step in the box and offer him a choice.” I went for a run and tried to time it so that I was in the box at the correct time. My first thought was to head it down after it went over the center back’s head. I don’t normally score headed goals, but this was an exception.
The goal seemed to catch everyone off guard because it came so early in the game. The ball seemed to float in the air until Davies ran onto it, leaping above defender Josip Juranovic and bouncing a header past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Davies immediately turned and raced to the left corner flag, where he was joined by his entire squad, both on the field and on the bench.
“It was a fantastic feeling,” Davies remarked. “I’ll remember that moment for the rest of my life.” My teammates surrounded me, grabbed my jersey, and pushed me around. I had Liam Miller headbutt me once because we were so excited that we just stared at each other. The feeling was absolute awe.
The goal ended a 361-minute drought for Canada at the World Cup and was nearly 40 years in the making. Canada was shut out in three losses at the 1986 tournament in Mexico.
In Morocco, Canada will be facing an opponent which is playing in its sixth World Cup but has not gotten out of the group stage since 1986.
Morocco needs a win to secure play in the Round of 16 here. A draw might get it there as well, depending on what happens between Croatia and Belgium, which will be played simultaneously at the Ahmad Bin Stadium up the road in Al Rayyan.
“There will be incentive; playing in the World Cup is motivation enough for this team,” Davies remarked. “We bring that motivation to every game every time we foot on the field.” We can’t advance to the next round, but the incentive is there to attempt to get something out of this game.
“We understand it will not be easy. We’re going to go out there and play as strong and as hard as we did in the first game.”
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