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Canada led Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 in the opening match of the 2023 CONCACAF U17 Championship. Canada earned a corner kick in the 61st minute, creating a prime chance for Chimere Omeze to score.

Initially, Canada played the ball short, before Gaël De Montigny lofted a cross to Omeze from the right side. He jumped up and headed the ball into the net to double Canada’s lead.

Trinidad and Tobago cut the advantage in half six minutes later, but Omeze made sure Canada kept control. As soon as play resumed, Omeze got the ball on the left sideline and rushed upfield, carrying the ball to the 18-yard box. Eventually he threaded a pass through two players to find Kyler Vojvodic for a score.

Omeze’s goal and assist in a seven-minute span propelled Canada to a 3-2 win to start CONCACAF competition.

A year before joining Syracuse, Omeze was at the forefront of Canada’s semifinal appearance at the CONCACAF U-17 Championships. The center back led the Canadian backline, which produced three shutout victories. Canada’s progression in the tournament sealed its qualification for the 2023 U17 World Cup.

Omeze, a native of Brampton, Ontario, first caught the eye of Canada U17 head coach Andrew Olivieri while playing at Toronto FC’s Academy. The National Team staff visited the academy and worked with players for up to five days at a time, noticing Omeze’s versatility.

“Right away, you could tell that not only is there a physical profile to dominate within his position, he was able to contribute to the attack and occasionally get forward,” Olivieri said.

Canada played a back three, and needed a wide center back. Since Omeze also had experience at full back, the middle of the field was Omeze’s “sweet spot,” according to Olivieri.

In December 2022, Omeze was named to Canada’s Men’s Under-17 Team, setting him for the Copa México de Naciones Sub-17 three-day competition ahead of the CONCACAF Championship. It was the first time Omeze was selected to play for Canada.

Ahead of CONCACAF play in Guatemala in February 2023, Canada traveled to Mexico for 12 days of training and two friendlies against Mexico and Costa Rica. Canada teammate Jeevan Badwal never played with Omeze before, yet was impressed by his calm demeanor.

“(His confidence) is really high,” Badwal said. “He has a high accountability for himself, especially when you see it in training and then he takes it into games, he’s really confident in himself and others.”

Syracuse center back Chimere Omeze has emerged as one of the Orange’s best players in his freshman season. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer

Omeze’s physicality and aerial prowess offensively and defensively stood out to Badwal early on. Against Trinidad and Tobago, the defender’s threat from set pieces was on full display.

“Scoring that goal kind of helped us definitely a little bit, if not a lot, for the whole tournament,” Omeze said. “Making it out of the group stage, just from that starting point, made a difference for us going into the tournament.”

In the next game against Barbados, Omeze continued to spark Canada’s offense. This time, with his dribbling ability. He often broke defensive and midfield lines with his slaloming runs and threaded passes.

“It doesn’t all show up on the score sheet, but he was a big asset for us on the attacking set plays,” Olivieri said.

Meanwhile, Omeze and Canada’s backline shut out Barbados to earn a 2-0 win, its second of the group stage.

That win started a four-game stretch where Canada surrendered just one goal. Omeze’s one-on-one defense was important to slow down other teams’ top wingers. Badwal said Omeze had good instincts on when to be aggressive, saying that he “would win every battle.”

“He’s a lion,” Olivieri said. “He enjoys the individual battles. He enjoys the responsibility of having to deal with a forward.”

Canada eventually bowed out in the CONCACAF semifinals, falling 2-0 to the United States, but its run was enough to qualify for the 2023 U17 FIFA World Cup in November 2023. Omeze gained the experience of playing against bigger players on the international stage, and he said it helped him hold his ground more.

When Omeze returned to Toronto, he joined the academy’s second team for the first time. It was a chance to play in a professional environment against raised competition, Omeze said.

Ahead of the World Cup in November, Canada’s U17 National Team played friendlies against Brazil and Argentina. At the camp before competition, Omeze polished his passing repertoire even more, Badwal said.

Sophia Burke | Design Editor

This came to fruition in Canada’s first match against Brazil. Badwal and Omeze combined for a one-two pass and Omeze played the ball out to the corner. Then, the winger played the ball into the box and Canada scored.

The World Cup in Indonesia started soon after, and Canada was placed in Group B with Spain, Uzbekistan and Mali. Canada lost all three group games and was knocked out of the tournament before the knockout round. But against Spain, a game in which Canada fell 2-0, Omeze’s defense stood out while his team played most of the match down a player.

As a freshman at Syracuse, Omeze made an immediate impact. He netted a late game-winner in his debut against Colgate before scoring against Niagara the following match. Omeze tallied his third goal of the season against Providence, scoring another game-winner.

On defense, Omeze regularly makes well-timed tackles to gain possession for the Orange. Omeze’s mix of physicality and downhill running ability reminds SU head coach Ian McIntyre of Kamal Miller, a former Syracuse center and current Major League Soccer veteran.

Omeze carries his international playing experience with him now at Syracuse. He has helped the Orange to three shutouts, including a 2-0 victory over No. 3 Pitt.

“We’ve thrown him in the deep end, thrown him in the fire and he’s matched up with some really good players in our league and nationally,” McIntyre said of Omeze. “He’s raised his game … his ceiling is extremely high.”

Published on November 4, 2024 at 10:28 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32