TUKWILA, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders have officially welcomed their newest acquisition, as Nigerian defender Onyekachi Apam took part in his first practice Tuesday at Starfire Soccer Complex.
Apam previously played in France’s Ligue 1 for OGC Nice and Stade Rennes and made 14 appearances for Nigeria’s national team prior to the Sounders announcing his signing on Sept. 19.
Seattle forward Obafemi Martins, who played with Apam for the Super Eagles, said he helped persuade the 27-year-old that Seattle was the right landing spot as he looked for a place to continue his career.
“I said, ‘You have to come because this is a good team,'” Martins said. “If you are going to come to MLS, this is one of the best teams. We have good players as well, so it's going to make it easier for you to play."
Apam’s entrance into the fold comes in the midst of a rough patch for Seattle’s defense, which has given up nine goals in its last three games. Center back Zach Scott is also dealing with an ankle injury that forced him out of Seattle’s last match against Chivas USA, meaning the Sounders can use all the depth they can get defensively as the MLS season nears its conclusion.
Following Tuesday’s practice, Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid said Apam’s quickness and instincts stood out as strong suits that he observed in his new addition.
“There were good things at the beginning of practice – goals in tight,” Schmid said. “He's got good defensive tendencies, which is one of the things we wanted. He's got good quickness, which is another thing we were looking for.”
- Get the latest Seattle news at SoundersFC.com
But what role Apam will ultimately play this season appears to be fully up in the air. Schmid said Apam’s fitness still needs to get up to speed before he can be expected to contribute in a game situation, and it’s unclear how long it will take for him to get there.
“It's a matter of making sure that we get him fit and get him up to speed so we give him an opportunity to do well and not put him into a situation too early," Schmid said. "I definitely think that the next two or three games is probably too early. But I’m not going to put a timetable on it."
