Mark-Anthony Kaye will represent Canada at the World Cup

Toronto FC’s Mark-Anthony Kaye on making history with Team Canada at the World Cup

Lawrence Park grad to rep Toronto on the World Cup stage

Congratulations are due. Itโ€™s been nearly 40 years since Canada competed in the FIFA Menโ€™s World Cup, and the fans canโ€™t stop raving about it. Mark-Anthony Kaye, the Canadian menโ€™s national team midfielder and recent Toronto FC addition, accepts the enthusiastic โ€œCongrats!โ€ gratefully.

A team player, he immediately recognizes the collective effort it took to get the team to this point: โ€œThere’s been a lot of us who have been on this journey, sacrificing and working hard to get this far.โ€

The road to the World Cup is never easy, and the COVID-19 pandemic was an added obstacle to an already difficult feat.

โ€œMentally, it was definitely exhausting because of the amount of time weโ€™re travelling, being away from family in an isolated location,โ€ he says.

Despite these difficulties, Kaye and his teammates have been able to rise above them. โ€œThe pandemic definitely made athletes more resilient. Weโ€™re very fortunate [to be] in the situations weโ€™re in, with people whose jobs are to make sure we have everything we need,โ€ he says.

A graduate of Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute, Kaye played for a number of clubs in the GTA, starting at Wexford, when he was nine, then moving to Ajax Soccer Club and later Glen Shields. After spending a year on York Universityโ€™s varsity soccer team, Kaye was invited to play at TFC Academy. After spending a couple of years balancing both his commitments to York and TFC, Kaye decided to go pro, feeling as though it was โ€œthe right move to focus on that.โ€

Courtesy Toronto FC/Kschischang

Over the span of his career, Kaye has played for the Louisville City and Los Angeles football clubs. After a short stint in Denver, Kaye has returned home to play for the Toronto FC.

โ€œI feel like I got a little bit from each place that Iโ€™ve lived in and itโ€™s allowed me to be comfortable wherever I am, wherever I go,โ€ he says.

For many sports, not coming from a particularly wealthy and often white background presents systemic challenges for those hoping to go pro. Kaye says heโ€™s seen that difference as well.

โ€œPrivilege gives you more opportunities at a younger age, which sometimes can be the deciding factor for whether or not youโ€™ve got a certain amount of professional training hours from the best team or coaches,โ€ He says. He notes that, since heโ€™s gone pro, โ€œThe soccer system in Canada, especially in Toronto, has done a much better job to bridge that gap that so many people see, such as financial hardship, that stops young players from getting opportunities.โ€

That being said, he believes that determined and motivated players will find a way to achieve the success they desire.

โ€œYou canโ€™t be too hard on yourself when an opportunity doesnโ€™t go your way, especially because it allows you to become more resilient, โ€ he says.

Although Kayeโ€™s career has only just begun, having a World Cup qualification under his belt is something few Canadian players can claim.

โ€œIt hasnโ€™t been done in so long, and [head coach] John [Herdman] got a great group of guys together for this mission,โ€ he says.

The excitement is high and still mounting leading up to the Nov. 20 World Cup kick off. (Canadaโ€™s team plays its first game on Nov. 23 against Belgium.)

โ€œIโ€™m glad weโ€™ve made people happy, especially considering everything thatโ€™s gone on the last couple of years. I think it brings a newfound hope and positivity to the country,โ€ he says.

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