“I’ll never stop until I get there”: Lalas Abubakar talks ambition and growth

Alhassan “Lalas” Abubakar may have been born in Kumasi, Ghana, but it’s fair to say that he’s made his name in the United States.

Raised in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, Abubakar quickly became enamored with soccer, playing on the streets with friends and for his high school team before continuing his development at the University of Ghana. After just a couple of months, Abubakar received a life-changing opportunity. The University of Dayton had sent a representative to Ghana to sign one of his teammates, who then recommended Abubakar. Despite interest from Europe, he accepted Dayton’s athletic scholarship and moved to Ohio to start a new chapter.

“I remember when I heard Dayton’s assistant coach was coming, I told my mother that it’s every kid’s dream to leave Africa to play soccer and study at the same time,” Abubakar said in an exclusive World Soccer Talk interview. “I told her to pray for me, and right after the trial, I called her and said, ‘Mom, he picked me.’ We were overjoyed. I didn’t know where Dayton was or what the weather was like; I was just happy for the opportunity.”

Abubakar scored 4 goals and 6 assists in 61 appearances across three seasons at Dayton, leading the Flyers to the 2015 A-10 Championship and earning the 2016 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as First-Team All-Conference honors. He also gained experience in amateur soccer, being nominated for the PDL’s Young Player of the Year with the Charlotte Eagles and leading the Michigan Bucks to the 2016 Premier Development League title while winning PDL Defender of the Year. These performances caught the attention of Columbus Crew, who selected him fifth in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.

Abubakar split time between USL Championship side Pittsburgh and Columbus in 2017, playing 10 times for the Crew, before enjoying a strong sophomore MLS season in 2018 with 23 appearances. However, when Gregg Berhalter left Columbus to coach the US Men’s National Team, new manager Caleb Porter relegated Abubakar to a reserve role. He departed in May 2019 for the Colorado Rapids, where he established himself as a starting-caliber center back, blending physicality with excellent positional awareness and quality on the ball. Similar to other top center backs like Sergio Ramos, Christian Gray, and Gabriel Magalhães, Abubakar also contributed offensively, scoring 9 goals and 3 assists in 153 appearances in Colorado.

“I’m always growing in my soccer skills,” Abubakar said. “Looking back at previous seasons, I’ve made strides in reading and understanding the game. I’ll keep learning and working hard to reach the top. I’ll never stop until I get there.”

Abubakar excelled over six seasons in Colorado, winning Defender of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and helping the team reach the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2020 and the Western Conference semifinals in 2021. Seeking his first professional trophy, he signed with FC Dallas as a free agent on a two-year contract with a one-year club option.