Nkosi Tafari is quickly becoming one of FC Dallas' main leaders
Tafari's rise with FC Dallas has been a fascinating story to watch unfold.
When FC Dallas opted not to renew the contract of long-time veteran Matt Hedges ahead of the 2023 MLS season, many folks, including myself, wondered who would step in as a leader in the club’s defensive unit.
After an up-and-down season that saw many injuries and a late playoff run, FC Dallas appears to have found their new leader in the locker room and on the pitch in Nkosi Tafari.
“I think we saw him differently last year throughout the whole season,” said FC Dallas head coach Nico Estevez on Thursday during his weekly media call. “He's stepping up as one of the leaders in the locker room.”
You can see those moments more and more on the field from Tafari. As FC Dallas reporter Garrett Melcer pointed out, Tafari quickly brought the team into a huddle to discuss how they would handle the game after they tied it up on Aiser Illarramendi’s goal.
“Since I arrived at the club I saw a lot of potential in him not only as a player, if not as a leader, and he wants to get better on that side,” said Estevez. “He's working hard to be one of the leaders in the team, and we're really happy, you know, to have multiple leaders that the team can rely on.”
Tafari finished the game against San Jose with 85.9% of his passes completed, four shots, two tackles, one blocked shot and three interceptions. He also picked up a broken nose, requiring him to wear a protective face mask. Estevez said the mask would be a temporary thing.
“He had a broken nose, but he can breathe,” explained Estevez. “He will have to wear the mask for a little bit, and when the bone is fully solidified, he will take off the mask.”
Tafari and FC Dallas will look to go for their second straight win of the season on Saturday night when they host CF Montreal at Toyota Stadium.