Former Toronto FC defender Nana Attakora has finally landed on his feet.
Sportsnet.ca has learned from a source close to the situation that Attakora has signed with Finnish club FC Haka Uutiset. Haka is expected to make an official announcement within the next few days, the source said.
Attakora, a 23-year-old native of North York, Ont., last played in Major League Soccer in 2011 with the San Jose Earthquakes following a trade that summer from Toronto FC.
His contract with the Earthquakes expired after the 2011 campaign, but San Jose still retained his league rights as per MLS’ collective bargaining agreement — unlike other North American sports leagues where players are free to sign with another team once they are out of contract.
As a result, his MLS career was in limbo, as he couldn’t just sign with another team, and had to be traded by San Jose if he wanted to continue to play in the league. The Earthquakes made him a contract offer in January that he did not accept.
Since the end of last season, Attakora kept busy by going on trial with a number of European teams, including FC Union Berlin of the German second division who offered him a six month contract that he turned down.
More recently, the young defender played for Canada’s under-23 team in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in March, and earlier this month he trained with the Vancouver Whitecaps.
While playing with Canada’s Olympic team earlier this year, Attakora spoke openly about his frustrations with San Jose management, but told sportsnet.ca he was optimistic that the club would trade him to another MLS side.
“It’s basically come down to a point over the last three or four weeks where they finally realized no team is going to give them what they’re asking for, so they’re agreeing to do what they said. I’m expecting something to be done within the next two or three days,” Attakora said at the time.
Attakora was one of TFC’s brightest prospects and most consistent players from 2009 to 2010, before experiencing personal issues last season that saw him plummet down the club’s depth chart. Eventually he asked to be traded, although life wasn’t much better in San Jose, where he battled injury problems and played in only six games.
But he looked sharp for Canada at the Olympic qualifiers, and several European clubs took notice, and he was offered more trials.
If Attakora sees regular first team soccer at Haka, it could lead to a recall to Canada’s national team. Twice named Canadian U-20 player of the year, Attakora has three caps to his credit with the senior team, his last appearance coming in a friendly against Armenia in February.
Based in the southern city of Valkeakoski, Haka is one of the most successful clubs in Finland, with nine league titles and 12 Finnish Cups. It famously reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983-84 when it lost to Italian powerhouse Juventus. More recently, it competed in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup.
But Haka has fallen on hard times lately, finishing 10th (out of 12 teams) during the 2011 Finnish season, and sits in 11th place in the current standings, just two points out of the relegation zone. Only the last place team in Finland’s top flight, which runs from April to October, is relegated.