Congo-born, London-bred forward tops MLS Draft picks

AFP - 16 January 2009 00:50

First overall draft pick Steve Zakuani of the Seattle Sounders FC addresses the audience during the MLS 2009 Super Draft at the St. Louis Convention Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AFP) - Steve Zakuani, a 20-year-old forward born in the Republic of Congo and raised in London, was the top pick in Thursday's Major League Soccer Draft, going to the expansion Seattle Sounders.

Zakuani, who played this past season at the University of Akron, moved from Africa to England at age four and played with Arsenal's youth squad from 1997 to 2003 and from 2003 through 2007 at London's Independent Football Academy.

"I'm excited. It's an honor for me, honestly, and it's a dream come true as well," Zakuani said. "I just really can't wait to get started. I'm so happy to be going there."

Zakuani, whose older brother Gabriel plays from Fulham, scored 20 goals this past season for Akron, whose coach, Caleb Porter, was overjoyed for his star player.

"He has been waiting for this moment for his entire life and I couldn't be happier for him," Porter said. "It has been an incredible journey for him to reach this point through trials and tribulations, injuries and disappointments. To go from the Congo to London to the No. 1 pick, it's truly an amazing story."

Toronto selected US midfielder Sam Cronin with the second pick. The Los Angeles Galaxy took US defender Omar Gonzalez third overall and Toronto chose Canadian forward O'Brian White with the fourth pick.