July 15, 2024...'My Moment Came And I Took Advantage Of It': How 16-Year-Old Shola Jimoh Scored His Very First Pro Goal (from York United FC website)

July 15, 2024...'My Moment Came And I Took Advantage Of It': How 16-Year-Old Shola Jimoh Scored His Very First Pro Goal
(from York United FC website)

'MY MOMENT CAME AND I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT': HOW 16-YEAR-OLD SHOLA JIMOH SCORED HIS VERY FIRST PRO GOAL

Brian Wright and Dennis Salanovic and gets a new pair of boots from Brem Soumaoro too.

SHO TIME

16-year-old Shola Jimoh might have received $300 as a special bonus from boss Benjamin Mora after scoring his very first professional goal in the 2-1 win over Cavalry FC on Saturday, but he can look forward to some other gifts too.

The wager was that if the teenager managed a goal or assist this season, midfielder Brem Soumaoro would be on the hook to deliver him a new pair of boots.

All in all, a pretty lucrative moment for Jimoh.

But he does have a couple of team-mates to thank for their contributions: Dennis Salanovic and Brian Wright in particular.

The striker - after some dazzling control and fancy footwork - teed up Jimoh with a low cross to tally a league-leading fifth assist of the season (while he still boasts a league-leading seven goals). But it was Salanovic who made sure Jimoh was in the right place at the right time.

"Benjamin tells us to keep wide but on that play, Dennis - who was on the sideline - told me to come inside more," Jimoh says.

"He knew if the ball came across then I'd be there for an easy tap-in. So I listened to him. And the ball came across and...it was an easy tap-in. Brian's nutmeg was crazy. And I knew I was quick enough to easily get there so I started sprinting. And from right in front of the net, I thought 'I have to score this'. And I scored. I just felt relief because it made it more of a cushion for us at 2-0. I remember thinking, 'I hope I helped my team win the game.'"

Jimoh, making only his fourth ever senior appearance for the club, is now the second-youngest goalscorer in Canadian Premier League history.

The teen says he had visualized and manifested the moment in advance of the game, spurred on by his team-mates who have encouraged and mentored him since he first arrived at the club last year.

"My moment came and I took advantage of it," he says.

"A couple of weeks ago, Baldi (Matthew Baldisimo) told me to keep working and my chance would come and if I took it then good things would happen. A couple of days before, even the day before, I was telling myself I would score. I even told my friend I would score."

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