- Simba French
- Nov 21, 2023
- 0
Nahum Johnson.
Cameron Pratt.
BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico — With The Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, are two high school student-athletes, Nahum Johnson and Cameron Pratt, soaking up the experience of representing the country in the 2023 Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Nations League competition.
Johnson is the youngest Bahamian to score a goal Nations League competition for The Bahamas. Pratt, the youngest player on the team, has been the number two goalkeeper in all of The Bahamas’ games this season as he patiently waits for his name to be called
“Playing against older players is good for younger players like me because of the challenge. It helps me to get better and I like the challenge so far. I hope it helps me get recognized and helps me in my career,” Johnson said.
Pratt, who is 17-years-old, said that it has been an unforgettable experience to be on the team and to represent his country.
“I learned a lot of new things. Although I am the youngest on the team, they handle me with care, how to play on and off the field. Being able to practice at a high level with goalkeeper coach Avery Kemp was beneficial for me. I was able to learn new things such as shot blocking, spatial awareness, goal awareness and communication on the field,” Pratt said.
Johnson plays the forward position and will never forget October 17, 2023 because he scored an equalizer goal for The Bahamas on that date, his first senior men’s goal for The Bahamas, giving the country its first point of the 2023-2024 Nations League competition. That goal came against Antigua and Barbuda.
“I was excited but I still had to stay focused because it was only the 81st minute of the game. When I scored that goal, my mind was blown away as I scored a goal to help my team at the age of 17. It was a great accomplishment. I want to score more goals to help my team,” Johnson said.https://77e4dc8d1da7fdfab1eb1e0e55736418.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
The Aquinas College grade 11 student says that he is looking to stay humble. He was to make his first start for the senior men’s program against Jamaica. There is a strong chance that Head Coach Nesly Jean and Assistant Coach Kevin Davies may give him a starting job against Puerto Rico today. The opportunity is something that he is thankful for, he said.
Pratt, who plays for Dynamos FC locally, has not played a minute in Nations League competition but he has been ready to hear the coaches call him into action.
“I stay ready at all times because the best goalkeeper will be on the field and something can happen. I always keep it in my head that I can go on the field and play. I do get disappointed when I don’t get to play in this or that game, but I look forward to the next game because I know that in practice if I keep my level up I can shock my coaches and may be I can get to play.”
The St. John’s College grade 11 student has been playing soccer since he was seven years old and credits his mother Deeian Pratt for getting him into the sport. Kemp played a role in him choosing to play that position.
“My teacher, family and friends hold me to a high level of accountability. I still manage to put aside time to play and practice and still be able to stay on top of my school work,” Pratt stated.
He is looking to go to Europe to play soccer but playing for a college team is also on his radar.
For Johnson, who plays for Renegade FC locally, balancing between school and soccer has been something he has been able to do successfully. He said his teachers have helped him. Johnson is thankful for his mother Stacy Johnson for her dedication and support. He hopes to one day be a professional soccer player and he hopes to go off to school or to a soccer academy.https://77e4dc8d1da7fdfab1eb1e0e55736418.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
The match against Puerto Rico is set for this evening at the Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.