Senegal to South Florida: Faye’s making a name for himself at FIU
Sophomore Talla Faye is proving himself for the one-loss FIU Golden Panthers.
There are a lot of things that bring people to Miami, Florida, whether it’s the flashy lifestyle, the beautiful beaches, or the weather. But, it was primarily soccer and diversity that brought Talla Faye to Miami-Dade County. A native of Senegal, Faye came to the United States in 2014 and attended Montverde Academy in Orlando, Florida before enrolling at Florida International University. The sophomore midfielder explained, “FIU is similar to my high school because my high school is a diverse school and FIU is also a diverse school, so that’s the thing that made me come here. Also, the people are really great. The coaches, teammates, students, and faculties.”
Not only is his college diverse, but Faye also has a diverse set of languages at his disposal. “I speak three languages: Wolof, French, and English,” Faye said. “I also understand a little bit of Spanish.” Wolof is spoken in his native Senegal, where he said the favorite things back home are the foods and people like his parents, friends, and the people who love him back home.
The Golden Panthers men’s soccer team, ranked #19 in the United Soccer Coaches top-25, is speaking the language of the beautiful game this season. After starting the season with a 14-match unbeaten streak, they’ve only lost one match. Talking about the success of the team, Faye said, “Everybody is on the same page, no one thinks they’re better than anyone else and that’s why we are doing well so far. And also, what we have to do to make noise in the postseason is to be humble, stick together, and keep working hard as we’ve been doing throughout the season.”
Faye has two goals in ten appearances and three starts. He considers himself a unique player, stating that Sadio Mane was the favorite player of his childhood. Still young in his college career, he said, “The most important thing I have to do to improve is to stay healthy.”
Tonight, Faye and FIU will close out its regular season with a chance to win the regular-season Conference USA crown vs. #14 Marshall University. Kickoff is set for 7 PM Eastern Time at FIU Soccer Stadium. After that, they will attempt to win their second-ever C-USA title when the conference tournament kicks off November 13th.
