Toubabo Jarju part ways with Vancouver Whitecaps
- Sunday, 22 January 2012
- Written by Modou Lamin Beyai
The Vancouver Whitecaps’ has announced that its experiment of Africa’s first MLS designated player is over after it terminated the contract of Gambian Mustapha “Toubabo” Jarju.
The club bought out the “disappointing” Gambian striker’s $470,000-a-year contract Friday in a move that seemed inevitable as new head coach Martin Rennie puts his stamp on a team that finished last in Major League Soccer last season.
Toubabo Jarju lit it up in the Belgian second division with RAEC Mons helping them to gain promotion into the Belgian topflight of football and was touted as a natural goal scorer when he joined the Caps last summer as the first African designated player in the Major League Soccer.
But the 25-year-old Gambian international fizzled in MLS, posting no goals or assists in 10 appearances and often failing to make the starting lineup near the end of the season. Club officials recently stated they expected Toubabo Jarju to rejoin the team when pre-season training begins next week, but they clearly had a change of heart as other attacking players were brought on board.
The move frees up a designated player spot for Vancouver, and the $335,000 of Jarju’s $470,000 salary that would have counted against the cap. MLS teams are allowed three designated players. French forward Eric Hassli is now Vancouver’s lone DP.
The move also brings the Whitecaps down to 10 international players, which, combined with Friday’s trade of cash to Colorado for a 2014 draft pick and international roster spot, makes the -Caps compliant.
“We would like to thank Mustapha for his contribution during his time at the club. We wish Mustapha [Jarju] the very best in his future endeavors,” said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi in a statement released on the club’s official website.
With Jarju’s expulsion from the Whitecaps in the MLS, it now reduces Gambia’s export to the MLS to five and they are Sanna Nyassi [Montreal Impact], Sainey Nyassi and Abdoulie “Kenny” Mansally [New England Revolution], Mamadou “Futty” Danso [Portland Timbers] and Amadou “Baresi” Sanyang [Seattle Sounders].