Sura Yekka

Sura Yekka
Personal information
Full name Sura Bayoru Yekka
Date of birth (1997-01-04) January 4, 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
 Djurgårdens IF
Youth career
North Mississauga SC
Brampton Brams United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2019 Michigan Wolverines 69 (2)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2021 MSV Duisburg 14 (0)
2021–2022 Le Havre 18 (0)
2023 Vittsjö 12 (0)
International career‡
2014 Canada U17 4 (0)
2014–2016 Canada U20 11 (1)
2013– Canada 18 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of February 4, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 15, 2022

Sura Bayoru Yekka (born January 4, 1997) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Swedish club Djurgårdens IF in the Damallsvenskan and the Canada national team.

Early life

Born in Toronto, Canada to Ugandan parents, Yekka began playing soccer at age six with North Mississauga SC.[1] later playing with Brams United.[2] She played for Team Ontario at the 2013 Canada Summer Games, where she was named a tournament all-star.[3] Yekka also excelled in track and field, winning the bronze medal in the 800m at the 2010 U-16 Track and Field National Championships.[4]

College career

In 2015, she began attending the University of Michigan, where she played for the women's soccer team.[5] She made her collegiate debut on August 21, 2015 against the Eastern Michigan Eagles and recorded her first career start and first career assist in a 3-0 victory on August 30 against the Detroit Mercy Titans.[5] She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team for her debut season.[6][7] She redshirted the 2016 season, due to her national team commitments.[8] Yekka scored her first collegiate goal on October 6, 2019 against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.[9]

Club career

In September 2020, Yekka joined German club MSV Duisburg of the Frauen-Bundesliga.[10]

In 2021, she joined Le Havre AC in the French Division 2 Féminine.[citation needed] In her first season, she helped them win promotion to the Division 1 Féminine.[11]

In February 2023, she joined Swedish club Vittsjö GIK in the Damallsvenskan on a two-year contract.[12]

International career

In December 2012, she made her debut in the Canadian youth program, attending a camp with the Canada U15 team.[1] After attending a couple of more youth camps with the Canada U17 and Canada U20, Yekka was called up to the senior in October 2013, making her senior debut at age sixteen on October 30 against South Korea, without having played in any youth level games before.[3][13] She earned her second senior cap on November 24 against Mexico, earning rave reviews for her performance in a 0-0 draw.[14] She was named the 2013 Canadian U17 Player of the Year.[15]

After having already made multiple appearances for the senior team in 2013 and early 2014, Yekka made her debut for the youth teams in 2014 appearing in both the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[16][17][18] She scored her first international goal on December 6, 2015, scoring the winning goal against Jamaica U20 at the 2015 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship.[19][20] In 2015, Yekka was nominated for the Canadian U20 Player of the Year Award.[21] She also played for the U20s in the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[22]

Personal

Yekka is the daughter of Evelyn Adiru, a track and field athlete who specialized in the 800m and 1500, who represented Uganda at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Sura Yekka at the Canadian Soccer Association
  2. ^ Colpitts, Iain (November 27, 2021). "Brampton soccer players help take Canadian teams to new heights". Brampton Guardian.
  3. ^ a b Colpitts, Iain (January 9, 2014). "Future looks bright for soccer star Sura Yekka". Mississauga News.
  4. ^ "Michigan Women's Soccer Meet the Freshmen: Sura Yekka". Michigan Wolverines. August 21, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Sura Yekka Michigan profile". Michigan Wolverines.
  6. ^ "Five Wolverines Garner All-Big Ten Awards". Michigan Wolverines. October 30, 2015.
  7. ^ Colpitts, Iain (May 17, 2016). "Mississauga's Sura Yekka selected for soccer's U-20 World Cup training camp". Mississauga News.
  8. ^ "Wolverines to be Without Three Key Players for 2016 Season". May 16, 2016.
  9. ^ McIntosh, Megan (October 6, 2019). "Strong Offensive Output, Beall Lead Michigan Past Nebraska". Michigan Wolverines.
  10. ^ "Capelli Macht's Möglich:Sura Bajoru Yekka Wird ein Zebra" [Capelli Makes it Possible: Sura Bajoru Yekka Becomes a Zebra] (in German). MSV Duisburg. September 17, 2020.
  11. ^ "Sura Yekka joins Vittsjö GIK in Sweden". Canadian Soccer Association. February 3, 2023.
  12. ^ "Landslagsdebuterade som 16-åring – nu är förra supertalangen klar för Vittsjö" [Made her national team debut as a 16-year-old - now the former super talent is ready for Vittsjö]. Kristianstadsbladet (in Swedish). February 3, 2023.
  13. ^ Gerster, Jane (December 29, 2013). "People to Watch: Soccer sensation Sura Yekka, 16, impressing on national team". Toronto Star.
  14. ^ Thuncher, Jennifer (November 27, 2013). "Canada's effort 'sparked' by teenage Yekka". Vancouver is Awesome.
  15. ^ "Carducci, Yekka named 2013 Canadian U-17 Players of the Year". Canadian Soccer Association. December 10, 2013. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014.
  16. ^ Prusina, Sandra (July 22, 2014). "Interview: Road to Canada 2014 – Jessie Fleming and Sura Yekka". Northern Kick.
  17. ^ Swane, Brian (September 12, 2014). "National team defender Sura Yekka relishing the experience". Edmonton Sun.
  18. ^ McKnight, Zoe (July 16, 2014). "FIFA U-20 World Cup: Mississauga teen Sura Yekka makes Canadian team". Toronto Star.
  19. ^ "CONCACAF U-20 women's championship: Canada in semifinals". CBC Sports. December 6, 2015.
  20. ^ Colpitts, Iain (December 15, 2015). "Peel players help Canada qualify for next World Cup". Mississauga News.
  21. ^ Colpitts, Iain (November 30, 2015). "Peel players nominated for Soccer Canada awards". Mississauga News.
  22. ^ Colpitts, Iain (November 11, 2016). "Mississauga's Yekka picked for Under-20 World Cup team". Mississauga News.
  23. ^ Colpitts, Iain (May 14, 2014). "Yekka shines against the U.S. national team". Mississauga News.