By Ryan Makuch
The San Diego Loyal announced on Friday, August 12, that Jackson Kasanzu would become a professional soccer player. Kasanzu was confirmed as a full professional member of the Loyal amidst the USL Championship side’s home-stretch run. Kasanzu also made his professional debut in the Loyal’s 1-0 away defeat to Birmingham Legion. Kasanzu came on at the 86th minute.
For Kasanzu, this is the next step of an already-incredibly expansive journey that started in his home country of Tanzania and took him to the States. Kasanzu ventured to the U.S. to live and play in the country and made an immediate impact.
Kasanzu would play in the full 90 minutes of the first five games he was available for in Ann Arbor. Kasanzu would miss just one match he was available for, making ten appearances and logging 842 minutes – fifth-most on the team. Kasanzu impressed early and repeatedly with his skill on the ball and in the air. His resilience was another key trait, and he proved to be a valuable last line of defense.
The landing spot for Kasanzu is also that of serious interest, as they currently sit second in the USL Championship’s Western Conference and look to secure their second straight postseason berth. San Diego sits four points behind San Antonio FC (who also have a game in hand) for the conference lead. Still, they are 18 points clear of a playoff spot, with roughly two-thirds of the season played, and have impressed throughout the season – particularly in attack, where they have notched 53 goals, seven more than any other conference foe.
Kasanzu joins a red-hot Loyal, who have won five in a row following a difficult 5-0 defeat to LA Galaxy II. They have taken their frustration out on some of the best sides in the conference, including 3-0 victories over third-place Colorado Springs and first-place San Antonio. Kasanzu will also have the good fortune of playing alongside internationally capped players such as positional mate Nikko Boxall (New Zealand).
San Diego Loyal is managed by a familiar name to even the most casual United States soccer fans–Landon Donovan. The second-most capped and joint-top-scorer in USMNT history co-founded the club in 2019 and was named as the inaugural manager of the side, beginning his reign in 2020.
Club Sporting Director Eric Rudland said about Kasanzu’s move, “Helping Jackson move along is certainly one of the highlights of our season. Jackson has nice characteristics that lend well to football here in North America, and he is only 19. Most importantly, though, he has the mentality to compete and develop day in & day out. He’s in good hands out in San Diego, and we are thrilled to see where his path takes him.”
Rudland would add, “Our history has proven that we can provide a solid platform to bring in promising internationals and help them advance their careers, so it’s nice to pick up where we left off after our two-year hiatus.” The most notable example of this is, of course, Joseph Okumu. He blazed the path for Kasanzu, joining the side as an established Kenyan international and subsequently moving from AFCAA immediately following the 2018 NPSL season to Real Monarchs of the USL Championship in 2018. Four years later, Okumu gears up for a Europa League bout as a member of Gent in Belgium.
Kasanzu earned the admiration of fans, players, and coaches alike. Perhaps no one got to see more of Kasanzu than Men’s Head Coach Rod Asllani. Asllani was effusive in his praise for Kasanzu, saying, “I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this opportunity than him. He is a very good soccer player but, most importantly, an amazing human being. Jackson came into a new culture and embraced it to the fullest. He spoke very little English but could say a lot with just one smile. He was respected and loved by all at our club.”
Asllani concluded, saying, “We’re very happy to have played a part in his soccer journey and have helped with his adaptation process on and off the field.”
Kasanzu is the first member of the 2022 Oaks to sprout off into the professional tiers, and the hope is that he will not be the last. We would, once again, like to congratulate Jackson Kasanzu on this exciting accomplishment and wish him all the best as he continues his soccer journey in San Diego.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!