Forge FC and Canadian men’s national team defender Dejan Jakovic chatted with Forge digital host Louis Butko Tuesday ahead of Canada’s biggest men’s game in over half a decade: leg two of a second-round 2022 World Cup qualifying tie with Haiti.
John Herdman’s side is up 1-0 following a crucial Cyle Larin away goal in the first leg on Saturday. A win or a draw would send Les Rouges to the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the first time since the 1998 World Cup cycle.
Jakovic, 35, has made 41 caps for Canada and played a major part in the program’s bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, starting all but one game in Canada’s second-round group that featured Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador.
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‘It’s an exciting time because we have a lot of great players playing at big clubs,” Jakovic said. “They are a joy to watch. Hopefully, they win this game and get better each match after that.”
Jakovic also spoke about joining Forge ahead of the 2021 CPL season – set to start with The Kickoff presented by Volkswagen in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
“The sessions are getting better and better each day,” Jakovic said about joining the back-to-back champions this past off-season. “You can tell these guys have chemistry like they’ve played together for quite some time. They’ve welcomed me in, I’m happy to be here and I just want to get this season going.”