Nkosi Tafari kept it real.
The FC Dallas defender was interviewed on the local news ahead of Sunday’s game against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami side, and he seemed to be well aware of the reason he was on the Dallas-Fort Worth Fox affiliate.
As ticket prices soared and attention on the match grew exponentially beyond a typical Leagues Cup last-16 affair, Tafari told FOX 4 News what they probably knew already: they were only talking to him because he was about to play against the greatest soccer player of all time.
“I pretty much feel like I want to win and I’m very well aware of the task at hand,” Tafari said. “I prepare for every game virtually the same, I try to get a shutout and try to get a win. That’s just my job as a center back naturally.”
And then, the coup de grâce: “All the extras are all the extras. I’m really only being interviewed for the aspect of who Messi is. I’m not being interviewed because you actually care who I am. And that’s fair.”
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ZfsaSapJnM
— Sam (@Sam_DTID) August 5, 2023
Let’s talk about Nkosi Tafari, because while we won’t speak for the local news in Dallas, we at least care about him!
FC Dallas selected Tafari with the 14th overall pick in the 2020 draft, coming out of Seattle University.
Tafari has developed into a regular for the club, starting 18 of his 20 MLS appearances this season and chipping in two goals and two assists.
The Manhattan native also wrote an essay on the club’s official website in 2021, explaining why he was opting to go by the last name of Tafari instead of Burgess, which he had used for his entire life up to that point.
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