For Bright Dike, the month of August isn't just a chance for his soccer career to get started again. It’s also a chance to witness his sister’s footballing career blossom, too.
The Nigerian forward is nearing his return to the pitch for Toronto FC but his sister, Courtney Dike, has already set the bar high on the family standard after kicking off her international career by scoring a quick goal for Nigeria in the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Canada.
Courtney Dike scored in the first 18 seconds of the match against Korea, a game Nigeria won 2-1.
Her older brother, Bright, could not be more proud.
“Oh man, my sister was beyond excited!” Dike said. “You could see her smile a mile away, she was so happy. I talked to her, she’s excited, since it’s her first taste of the U-20 World Cup. I give her a little bit of tips and advice so hopefully they go far. They’re doing well right now, so hopefully they can take the cup.”
While Courtney and the rest of the world’s finest young women compete in the U-20 World Cup, next year’s elite female footballers have been very vocal about the 2015 Women’s World Cup; specifically, in the choice to use field turf instead of natural grass.
Many top female football players have voiced their concerns over the use of turf, with threat of legal action as well. The complaints come from concerns over the risk of injuries sustained on the harder playing surface.
Dike is no stranger to such injuries, having picked up long-term knocks back to back in the past two years. He says that grass is ideal, especially during a World Cup.
“I think, if you ask any soccer player, they would probably prefer grass over turf,” Dike said. “That’s common for most players, so it is what it is. At the end of the day, you play on whatever they have for you if you love the game enough.”
Dike returned to the team after tearing his Achilles tendon early in the year and while he travelled with Toronto to Columbus, he did not feature in Toronto FC’s 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew.
Still, Dike says just being back in the team is a blessing enough.
“It’s a wonderful feeling just to be back there and be an option off the pitch,” Dike told reporters at training Tuesday. “I just want to be a different weapon for us up top. Hopefully I can help take this team to places they’ve never been before.”