Canada's Promise David scoring goals and attracting attention with Belgian champions
Soccer has already taken Promise David to Croatia, the United States, Malta, Estonia and Belgium. And the 23-year-old forward from Brampton, Ont., could be on the move again during the summer transfer window.
Article content
There have been bumps along the way for David, who usually goes by Tobi (his full name is Promise Oluwatobi Emmanuel David Akinpelu).
Article content
'I call it a journey though hell,' David said with a smile. 'I'm just trying to better myself as a football player and reach higher levels. But, yeah, from each place, I took a piece of football and added it to myself. And I think that's created the Tobi that's here today.'
Article content
For the time being, he is happy to be with Union Saint-Gilloise, which won its first Belgian league title in 90 years last month.
Article content
'Best football I've ever played in my life,' David said of Belgium. 'I really take in every moment, because it might not last.'
Article content
While David is under contract to Union Saint-Gilloise, his goal-scoring exploits have attracted attention ahead of the June 15 opening of the transfer window. He recorded 24 goals in all competitions this season with eight of those coming in the 10-game championship round (the top six Belgian sides meet in a mini-league to decide the title).
Article content
David is currently with Canada in Halifax, preparing for the inaugural four-team Canadian Shield Tournament in Toronto. The 30th-ranked Canadians open Saturday against No. 25 Ukraine before facing No. 41 Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
Article content
David expects a large contingent of friends and family at BMO Field, noting they haven't seen him play live since high school
Article content
'I think I bought tickets for the entire stadium,' he said.
Article content
Article content
Born in Brampton to Nigerian parents, David made his debut for the Nigerian under-23 side in October 2022. But in February, after talks with Canada coach Jesse Marsch, his request to switch allegiance was approved by FIFA.
Article content
David started at the Toronto FC pre-academy, spending two or three years there before he was let go at 14. He found a new home with Vaughan SC where he excelled despite still growing into an imposing body that now measures six foot four and 209 pounds.
Article content
'He almost looked clumsy when he ran. But he had a nose for goal,' said Anthony Vadori, Vaughan's director of men's high performance. 'He always found himself in front of goal with an opportunity to shoot.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
12 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Your dividend and DRIP questions answered
How do companies and brokers handle dividend payments when stocks are bought or sold between payout cycles? For example, if I sell a stock a week before the payout date, will I lose out on the full value of that dividend payment? Or, conversely, if I purchase a stock just before the payout date, how much of that dividend will I receive? Depending on when you purchase your shares, you'll either get the full dividend, or no dividend at all. Companies don't prorate the dividend amount based on your purchase date. To be eligible for the dividend, you will need to own the stock on the record date for the next dividend payment. The best way to illustrate this is with a real-life example. On May 28, Bank of Montreal declared a quarterly dividend of $1.63 per common share. The record date for the dividend is July 30, and the payment date is Aug. 26. The payment date is straightforward enough. That's the day the dividend is distributed to shareholders. But the record date requires a bit of an explanation. You might think that purchasing the shares on the record date of July 30 will entitle you to the next dividend. But that's not the case. Because it takes one business day for a stock trade to settle – that is, for the shares and cash to actually change hands – you would need to purchase your shares no later than July 29. That way, you'll be a shareholder of record on July 30 and receive the dividend to be paid on Aug. 26. July 30 is also known as the ex-dividend date, because investors who purchase the shares on or after this date will not get the dividend. The record and ex-dividend dates didn't use to fall on the same day. In the past, when the settlement period for stocks was T+3 (the trade date plus three business days), and later shortened to T+2, the ex-dividend date always came before the record date. But when T+1 settlement was adopted a year ago, the record and ex-dividend dates became the same. With all of that said, it's important to understand that timing your stock purchases in order to receive the next dividend isn't going to put you any further ahead. If you buy before the ex-dividend date, the price you pay will reflect the fact that the dividend is included. If you wait until the ex-dividend date to buy, the price should be lower – all else being equal – because the dividend is no longer included. The price of a stock rarely drops by the exact amount of the dividend. The price could even rise on the ex-dividend date. That's because stock prices are affected by many other factors – such as analyst reports, economic news, general market sentiment and company-specific announcements – that have nothing to do with the dividend. Bottom line: If you like a stock, don't worry about whether you'll buy it in time to receive the next dividend. I am writing to you because this really annoys the stuffing out of me. We have two self-directed accounts, one at TD Direct Investing and the other at RBC Direct Investing. All of our stocks are enrolled in the brokers' respective dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs). Recently, I noticed that the brokers have been reinvesting dividends from the same company at different prices. For example, TD reinvested my Enbridge Inc. dividends at $62.03 a share, and RBC reinvested at a more attractive price of about $61.30. I checked six other examples, and TD reinvested at a higher price in four cases. Should I be concerned? I don't think so. Reinvestment prices often differ because not all brokers operate their DRIPs in the same way. Some brokers purchase DRIP shares on the dividend payment date using the cash received from the company. Others may acquire shares in the days leading up to the pay date. In some cases, shares are purchased on the open market, while in others they are issued by the company's treasury, in which case it might take longer for the shares to show up in your account. When a security is not eligible for a treasury DRIP, 'we purchase shares on the market on the cash dividend payable date. The shares are then posted to your account at the end of the day,' TD Direct Investing explains on its website. Because share prices are constantly changing, even when two different brokers purchase the same shares on the same day, the price can vary depending on what time the transactions occurred. In your case, the fact that one broker reinvested dividends at a higher price in five of seven cases doesn't indicate to me that anyone is trying to rip you off. Rather, given the small sample size, this seems to be well within the bounds of chance. I suggest you continue to monitor your DRIPs to see if one broker consistently reinvests at higher prices over a longer period of time. I am skeptical that this will be the case, but if a clear pattern emerges, feel free to get back in touch. E-mail your questions to jheinzl@ I'm not able to respond personally to e-mails but I choose certain questions to answer in my column.
CBC
12 minutes ago
- CBC
Nunavik's first in-region university program aims to recruit more teachers
Nunavik will soon have its first full-time university program delivered in the region — and it's for aspiring teachers. The region's school board, Kativik Ilisarniliriniq (KI), has received new funding from the province to launch a certificate in education for First Nations and Inuit, in partnership with McGill University. Harriet Keleutak, KI's director general, said their aim is to bring more Inuktut teachers on board. "Every year we're missing 20-plus Inuit teachers, meaning some of our classes are closed most of the time, even though we try to recruit as much as we can," she said. Currently, most teachers do part-time training on-the-job, and that's exclusive to current Kativik Ilisarniliriniq employees. That process can take up to seven years. "That leads to a high turnover because the training is taking too long before they can get their skills," Keleutak said. This new full-time course, starting September 2 in Kuujjuaq, will take two years and is open to all beneficiaries of Nunavik. Last month, the school board partnered with Montreal's John Abbott College to bring some 10-day post-secondary courses to the region. There is currently no college or university campus located in Nunavik. In contrast, all three territories and Labrador have at least one post-secondary institution. Under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, KI doesn't have the administrative jurisdiction to provide post-secondary education by itself. Through her conversations with Quebec's Education Ministry and Makivvik, Keleutak said she's hopeful that a post-secondary institution could be possible in the next decade.
Globe and Mail
15 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Some Oilers fans ready to move on from criticism of Gretzky over Trump ties
It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones. 'I don't think it matters,' said Craig Hiscock, a longtime Oilers fan, as he posed Wednesday for a photo with a statue of Gretzky outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of Game 1. 'Let's forget about the past. What he did here was a lot for the city, a lot for hockey.' The statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure. An online petition started in February calling for a new name for Wayne Gretzky Drive also has about 14,000 signatures. Edmonton statue of Oilers great Wayne Gretzky smeared with excrement Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state. The Great One was photographed with Trump several times at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In January, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, attended Trump's inauguration in Washington. Frustrations grew after he appeared as honorary captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the United States. Video footage showed him giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice. Gretzky also congratulated Dallas Stars players in their locker room last month, after they advanced to the Western Conference final. The Oilers eliminated the Stars in five games and now have one win against the Florida Panthers in the Cup final. Brian Foulken, who became a fan during the Gretzky era and collects Oilers merchandise, said Gretzky's accomplishments, including multiple scoring records that stand to this day, still resonate with people. As for the criticism, Foulken said people are going to have their own opinions. 'At the end of the day, [Gretzky] played here for a long time. The diehard Oilers [fans], we love him,' he said outside the arena before Game 1. 'He's an amazing player.' Foulken added that current Oilers captain Connor McDavid is inching closer to Gretzky-level greatness. Darren Rogers, a Gretzky fan since the Oilers' inception into the NHL in 1979, said Gretzky's leadership led the team to win multiple Stanley Cups. Trouble in Gretzkyville: For the first time, The Great One finds himself shunned by Edmonton fans Politics aside, that accomplishment should matter more to people in the grand scheme of things, Rogers said. Gretzky was in Edmonton for Wednesday's game. And as storied as Gretzky is to the Oilers franchise, he appeared to still be catching up to this new generation's fan base. On an American sports network, he sat side by side with commentators, as they discussed the Oilers' new tradition of playing the pop song Pink Pony Club. Players have been tight-lipped about the significance of the Chappell Roan hit, typically heard after the team plays La Bamba by Los Lobos following a win. 'Pink Pony — is that a band or is that a song?' the 64-year-old Gretzky asked TNT Sports co-host Paul Bissonnette following the Oilers' 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1. '[Roan] sings a song, Pink Pony Club, and it's famous. It's on the radio,' Bissonnette answered. 'It's the new generation, Wayne,' he added. Gretzky appeared disappointed to learn Roan isn't Canadian, but still seemed eager to check out the song. 'I gotta get that [as] my ringtone,' Gretzky said.
