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‘Sade’ to give Jamaican soccer a go at World Cup soccer

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 5/1/19

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‘Sade’ to give Jamaican soccer a go at World Cup soccer


Posted

EAGLE HARBOR – The name Olufolasade Adamolekun (O-loo-foe-la-sha-day) (A-dom-o-lay-Koon) is not the most familiar name in Clay County, but most soccer area soccer fans know her simply as ‘Sade.’

“Sade adds her name to the best who have ever played at this club and out of Clay County,” said Clay County Soccer Club director Luis Torres, who coaches the elite United Soccer Alliance Club also out of Clay County. “Names like Morgan Brian, Havana Salaun, Annie Bobbitt and Carson Pickett. “Sade is a special player. She had the option of playing for the United States’ teams, but has chosen to play for Jamaica and Jamaica thinks she could be the future of their soccer.”

A Fleming Island High soccer ace for one year, Sade, 18, now a senior there and a team member of the United Soccer Alliance Club team based out of the Clay County Soccer Club in Eagle Harbor, has evolved as a midfield attacker into one of the more sought after soccer girls in the United States and, such as talented as she is, both the University of Southern California and her home country of Jamaica are anticipating her swift, smooth soccer style on their playing pitches very soon.

“Her thing is goal scoring, plain and simple,” said Torres. “She is deceptive, tricky and her ball skills are tremendous. She plays with a whole different flair.”

The Jamaican women’s national team, named Reggae Girlz and ranked just 64th worldwide, recently earned a spot to be in the World Cup after beating Panama for third place in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier in October 2018. The win makes Jamaica the first Caribbean team to ever qualify for the World Cup. The United States, who beat Canada 2-0 in the championship game, also earned World Cup berths. The United States beat Jamaica 6-0 in the semifinal.

“I think a player is a player,” said Sade. “I’m prepared to play the best I can and if they see something in me, it will happen.”

Sade was one of 20 Jamaican team members that recently played in a friendly match against South Africa. Sade has three ‘caps’ or roster placements. Sade was part of a week long training camp in Durban, South Africa prior to the match that ended in a 1-1 tie.

“I’ll be going to more camps,” said Sade. “I will go to Jamaica in May for camps then the official roster gets named. That’s the top 23 players on the Jamaica team.”

Sade, who came to Fleming Island High as a sophomore, has been on some of America’s most prolific soccer clubs with a position on the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team in 2018 and, in May, a shot at being a part of the Jamaican womens national team that will be a first-time Caribbean entry into the World Cup of soccer.

Sade, born in Austin, TX, came to Fleming Island two years ago with her mother, Jamaican-born Michelle Adamolekun, collegiate track star at the University of Texas-Austin with two national championship rings, and Nigerian-born father Lame, a soccer player himself in Nigeria. Her mother’s Jamaica connection is what gives Sade the opportunity.

“I think the opportunity to play on a first-time World Cup team is exciting,” said Sade. “We will go in as a true underdog.”

With a list of USA age group national club rosters on her resume, Sade, in her opinion, has been groomed to be the international player she thinks she is capable of playing as.

“The Jamaica team has a handful of American college players, plus players from all over the world,” said Sade, who will travel May 12 to Jamaica where she can face off with a Panama team in preparation for the World Cup in France. “I think I’m prepared to play at the international level.”