FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Getting injured is obviously painful in the physical sense, but sometimes what hurts most is being confined to the sidelines, watching your team play every week, and knowing all you want to do is be out there with them. For Ignatius Ganago, nine games away from the pitch was too long. Now back in the squad, the attacker is more motivated than ever to make a difference for New England down the stretch run.
“It’s really nice being on the pitch again and playing games. I really missed that, so I’m really happy to be working. We need wins. So, we are working hard every day in training to just keep pushing to the end,” said Ganago. “When you have to miss a lot of games, every day you just think, ‘I want to play.’ So, right now, I just want to enjoy every moment, play hard, play smart, and I know the team needs me, so that’s all I am thinking about right now.”
The Cameroonian forward was placed on the short-term injury list in June, following a quad strain suffered while on international duty. Prior to being sidelined, Ganago helped the Revolution earn a nine-game unbeaten streak. Perhaps not coincidentally, they struggled to find a three-point result again until his return.
“That was really difficult, because I was in the stadium watching every single game. I was seeing that the team was really improving, they were playing so well, but they didn't win the games,” he explained. “It was hard just sitting there, because I couldn’t help. To watch your teammates struggle and not be able to do anything is really difficult. Either way, I thought they had been playing really, really well.”
Ganago made his return off the bench against D.C. United on August 9. Just one match later, he was back in the starting lineup against Los Angeles FC, then again in Columbus and against Charlotte FC. With just six games left in the season, Ganago is eager to make up for lost time.
Now four appearances into his return, Ganago has found his stride. With goals in back-to-back games, he is rekindling the chemistry that had been building with his teammates before his mid-season injury.
“The chemistry is there. I really worked hard before coming back, so physically I’m great. We’ve all known each other now for eight months, and we really know each other well. It can be difficult in tight games sometimes to see, but I know the quality we have, and we can play great soccer together,” he said.
Ganago now has six goal contributions for New England this season, with three goals and three assists. It’s a number that he hopes will keep climbing now that he’s back to full health. According to head coach Caleb Porter, there’s not much Ganago can’t do.
“When I first started scouting him, when he was presented by [Sporting Director] Curt [Onalfo], I immediately said, ‘I like this player.’ He has a little bit of everything,” Porter explained. “He’s smart, he has pace, he’s kind of part striker, part winger. He’s technical, he can go one-v-one. He’s my type of player because he’s well-rounded and he’s pretty complete.”
Ganago has felt that confidence from Porter, his teammates, and club staff. While adjusting to a new league and a new country after arriving from FC Nantes in France’s Ligue 1, he says the support he’s received has been the biggest surprise.
“It’s different here – they really show you that they care. They really show the love they have for you, and they want to help you improve every day,” he explained. “Everything is always so clear. Where I came from, it wasn’t always as personal. Sometimes you had to find that within yourself. For me, it’s a good change. I know the people here are there for me, and it makes it easier.
“But even when they make it feel easy for you, you can’t sit back and watch. They are constantly watching how hard you work. So, for them, I want to work and improve every day. It really is amazing.”
As New England moves toward the end of regular season play, Ganago is taking everything day-by-day. He’s focusing on the present, on winning the next game, and on himself and the men around him on the pitch. Together, he believes they can go far.
“We have to take it game after game. We’ll focus on the next game and then the next game after that. What I know is, the most important thing is we focus on us. We have to do the right things to win, because at the end of the day, if we win these games, we have a chance to be in the playoffs,” he said. “We win the next one. We take each game, and we do everything to win.”
