For Buba Fofanah, a fifth-year graduate student and star forward of the men’s soccer team, soccer has been his greatest motivator, both on and off the field. But that changed early in the season on a September day during practice when Fofanah suddenly fractured his fifth metatarsal while running.
“Everyone heard a snap,” Fofanah said.
Just days before his injury, Fofanah played a game against the St. Louis Billikens and briefly noticed an unusual sound during the match. Fueled by adrenaline, he brushed it off without much concern. However, on Sept. 16, the seriousness of his injury became clear: he had suffered a Jones fracture in his foot and would be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
He reflects on the moment as being bittersweet.
“The first moment I snapped my fifth metatarsal I was yelling and all that, and then after that, I was smiling,” Fofanah said. “It's not because I was in pain, I was like, ‘Wow.’ It's all this hard work and everything, this [is] it.”
While Fofanah adjusts to life off the turf, men’s soccer team head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt says that the team is also navigating the absence of their lead returning goal scorer.
“He just had an ability to spark the team and have some unpredictability with pace behind the line, so it’s a big loss having him out for the season,” Carlin-Voigt said. “That part’s tough.”
Last year, Fofanah started in all 17 games and hit career highs in goals and assists. At the latter end of the 2023 season, he was drafted by the Seattle Sounders. However, Fofanah decided to stay and play in Portland for a final year while he pursues a masters in finance.
According to Carlin-Voigt, his presence on the field is palpable.
“[Fofanah is] one of the quickest, most dynamic, powerful players in our league, if not the West Coast,” Carlin-Voigt said. “And so when he's on, and he's able to get going and running at full speed, he's a handful for the opposition.”
Fofanah’s injury is only the latest in a series of setbacks for the team this season. According to Carlin-Voigt, the group has been struggling with a “bad injury bug” the whole year, causing multiple key players to sit out.
Moving forward, while Fofanah is disappointed by the outcome of the season, he remains positive amidst recovery.
“I erased my old goal, and I set a new goal now,” Fofanah said. “Just try to be happy as much as I can, and don't dwell about the past. Just take it one day at a time.”
As for the team, Carlin-Voigt notes that they will certainly miss Fofanah’s key contributions on the field, but they try not to focus on the loss.
“Through crisis is opportunity,” Carlin-Voigt said. “Someone else gets a chance and they get to step up and emerge. Next-guy-up mentality, right?”
Despite his injury, Fofanah has built a strong camaraderie with his teammates, who see him as a “big brother.” Even though he can’t contribute physically, he intends to stay actively involved for the rest of the season by boosting morale from the sidelines.
“I feel like my role right now is to make sure I can get the best out of each of the other guys, even without playing,” Fofanah said. “Just making sure [that] I'm there for them, no matter what, win or lose, I'm always gonna be there.”
Kaylee Monahan is a reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at monahan26@up.edu.
