Orlando City forward Tesho Akindele announces retirement

William of England
By William of England 2 Min Read
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By Chris Smith

Tesho Akindele called time on his nine-year MLS career when he announced his retirement on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old forward has spent the past four years playing for Orlando City, following a spell with FC Dallas (2014-18), which selected him in the first round of 2014 mls Super Draft.

Akindele scored 43 goals and 16 assists in 237 regular season games for the two clubs combined and won the US Open Cup for both: in 2016 for Dallas as part of a double with the Supporters’ Shield and in 2022 with Orlando. In 2014, the forward was named MLS Rookie of the Year (now known as Young Player of the Year) after scoring seven goals in 26 regular season games during his first professional campaign.

Internationally, Akindele made 19 senior caps for Canadascoring three goals.

“I’ve always believed in following your intuition, and mine is telling me to start a new chapter in life, away from football,” Akindele wrote on social media.

“Football has given me more than I could ever ask for. The places I’ve been, the memories I’ve made, the people I’ve met. The successes and the failures. It was all a dream come true!

“Thanks to FC Dallas and Orlando City for the opportunities. To the coaches who believed in me. To my teammates for grinding everyday and always laughing. And to my family, friends and fans for the love and support!”

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This article was originally posted on 90min.com as Orlando City forward Tesho Akindele announces retirement.

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