The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) announced today that Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder/striker Yassin Essa has been called up to Canada's U-17 men's national team for a six-day training camp in Omaha, Nebraska.
A member of the Whitecaps U-18 Boys Prospects team, Essa is one of 21 players to be selected for the camp, which begins next Wednesday, April 21, and concludes on Monday, April 26. Head coach Sean Fleming is looking to shape his squad, as he begins preparations for next year's CONCACAF U-17 Men's Championship. During this month's camp, Fleming's squad will play three friendly matches, which includes two games against Creighton University on Friday, April 23, and University of Missouri - Kansas City on Sunday, April 25.
Born in Dera, Ethiopia, the native of Surrey, BC, has been with the Whitecaps Prospects program since August 2009. A product of the Surrey Youth Soccer Association, Essa played for the British Columbia U-14 provincial team in 2008 and is considered a promising talent as an attacking player. "Yassin can play either as a striker or in a withdrawn attacking midfield role," Whitecaps Boys Prospects head coach Bart Choufour told whitecapsfc.com. "He is a very exciting young player. He's very quick, has two good feet, and is technically very good on the ball. I'm delighted that Yassin has received this call-up to the Canadian U-17 national team squad."
About Vancouver Whitecaps FC Prospects
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Prospects is a 10-month program that provides young elite players with the opportunity to train and develop in a high performance environment under the guidance of the Whitecaps professional coaching staff. Fully integrated with the BC Soccer Player Development Pathway, Whitecaps Prospects is comprised of two streams (full-time and part-time programs) that are delivered in two phases from October to the end of July each year.
