On-form Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David has said it will be great should he make the final cut for Canada after he changed his international allegiance from Nigeria.
The 23-year-old striker played an official game for the Nigeria U23s, but he has now opted to play his full international football for Canada, where he was born.
On Wednesday, Canada coach Jesse Marsch will announce his final list for a CONCACAF tournament.
‘Tobi’ said he hopes to be on it.
“I haven’t heard anything yet, I’m still waiting,” he said. “That’s how Canadians are (laughs). There is a lot of competition with strikers from strong European leagues and there are also a few in the MLS. It’s not an easy choice.
“If I’m there, fantastic. If not, I’ll keep supporting just as hard.”
On Sunday night, the bulky striker raised his season’s tally to 11 with two goals.
He has exuded confidence and continues to develop rapidly.
“Even the chef made me better. I love food,” he joked after the match.
Last season’s runners-up did not start with much flair against Standard Liege, but eventually pulled the match towards them with ease.
“It was a perfect match, both offensively and defensively”, David analysed after the game.
“We scored three times and kept a clean sheet. In the beginning they had a few chances, but they did not finish them. We scored from our first chance and then we were off.”
That first goal came from David’s own foot, as did the second of the evening. That brings him to eleven league goals, the same as his strike partner Franjo Ivanovic.
“Do we have a competition among ourselves? No, of course not,” he laughed.
“We have scored 22 times together and that’s the most important thing. I have already given him assists and he also gave them to me, like with my first goal now. We simply complement each other well.”
David has made enormous progress this season.
“Am I the player who made the most progress at Union? Yes, but only because I was the worst at the beginning,” jokes the Canadian. “No, without any nonsense: it’s not easy to come from a smaller league to Belgium. There was still a lot of work to be done. Everyone at the club, from the coaching staff to the boss, made me better.”
That last remark didn’t come out of the blue.
“Even the chef helped me move forward. I love food, maybe a little too much,” he admitted with a wink.
“I’ve worked hard on my nutrition, but also physically, on my finishing and on putting pressure up front. I’m working a lot of extra hours to keep getting better. What my limit is? No idea, but I keep pushing myself.”
For now, however, he is focusing on the final match day of the regular season when Union will face leaders Genk.
“A very important match,” David admitted. “We want to show that we are a real threat. If we get a result there, we can reduce the gap to Genk even further. We are going for it.”
