==Career statistics==
==Career statistics==
===Club===
===Club===
{{updated|match played November 3, 2025}}<ref>{{soccerway|promise-akinpelu/700476}}</ref>
{{updated|match played November , 2025}}<ref>{{soccerway|promise-akinpelu/700476}}</ref>
{| class=”wikitable” style=”text-align: center”
{| class=”wikitable” style=”text-align: center”
|[[2025–26 Royale Union Saint-Gilloise season|2025–26]]
|[[2025–26 Royale Union Saint-Gilloise season|2025–26]]
|Belgian Pro League
|Belgian Pro League
|11||5||1||1||3{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}||1||1{{efn|name=BSC}}||0||15||6
|11||5||1||1||{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}||1||1{{efn|name=BSC}}||0||||6
|-
|-
!colspan=”2″|Total
!colspan=”2″|Total
!45!!24!!4!!5!!6!!2!!2!!0!!57!!31
!45!!24!!4!!5!!!!2!!2!!0!!!!31
|-
|-
!colspan=”3″|Career total
!colspan=”3″|Career total
!119!!72!!14!!19!!5!!2!!2!!0!!141!!89
!119!!72!!14!!19!!!!2!!2!!0!!!!89
|}
|}
{{notelist}}
{{notelist}}
Canadian soccer player (born 2001)
Promise Oluwatobi Emmanuel David Akinpelu (born July 3, 2001), known as Promise David, is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Belgian Pro League club Union SG and the Canada national team.[2]
David began playing football with the youth academy of Toronto FC Academy, before moving to his local club Vaughan Azzurri in 2016.[3] In 2019, he was scouted by the Croatian club Trnje and joined their youth academy. On September 18, 2021, he signed an academy contract with the American club FC Tulsa.[4]
In January 2022, David joined the Maltese club Valletta on a short-term contract.[5] He scored the goal that got Valletta to the 2021–22 Maltese FA Trophy final, where they finished runners-up.[1] On June 20, 2022, he transferred to Sirens, also in Malta.[6]
On February 13, 2023, David moved to Estonia with Nõmme Kalju.[7] He initially played for the club’s reserve team in the Estonian third tier before establishing himself in the first team and scoring seven goals in his inaugural Premium Liiga season.[8] David credited Kalju’s training demands and plyometric exercises as crucial elements in his turnaround.[9][10] In the following 2024 league season with Kalju, he scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 16 matches.[11]
In July 2024, David signed with Union SG of the Belgian Pro League, on a three-year contract with an option of a further year.[12] He debuted with them as a substitute during the 2024 Belgian Super Cup on July 20, where the club would be eventual 2–1 victors over Club Brugge.[13] David scored his first goal for his new club on August 10 in a 4–3 away defeat against Westerlo.[14] He concluded the 2024–25 season with 19 goals, including a brace in a 3–1 victory over Gent on the final matchday of the champions’ play-offs, securing his club’s first league title in 90 years.[15][16]
On 17 June 2025, David signed a new contract with Union Saint-Gilloise, extending his stay with the club until 2029.[17][18]
International career
[edit]
David was born in Canada to Nigerian parents.[19] In October 2022, he was called up to the Nigeria U23s for a set of 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against the Tanzania U23s.[20] He debuted with the Nigeria U23s, a 1–1 tie in the first leg with Tanzania U23 on October 22, 2022.[21]
In January 2025, after inquiries from the Nigerian Football Federation, David stated that he was focused on playing for his country of birth, Canada, at senior level.[22]
On February 21, 2025, David’s request to switch allegiance to Canada was approved by FIFA.[23] On March 12, 2025, he received his first senior call-up to the Canada national team for the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals.[24] He made his international debut on June 7, 2025, also scoring his first goal for Canada in a 4–2 friendly victory against Ukraine during the 2025 Canadian Shield.[25]
- As of match played November 4, 2025[26]
- As of match played October 14, 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2025 | 7 | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Canada’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each David goal.
Valletta
Union Saint-Gilloise
- ^ a b “Promise puts Valletta in Izibet FA Trophy final – maltafootball.com”. May 10, 2022.
- ^ Nightingale, Tom (February 21, 2025). “Promise David officially files switch from Nigeria to Canada, will be called up by CanMNT”. Canadian Soccer Daily. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ Erons, Imhons (July 1, 2024). “Union SG aim for a repeat Victor Boniface operation with Promise Akinpelu David transfer – Soccernet NG”.
- ^ Adeyanju, Oluwayemisi Afolabi (September 18, 2021). “The Promising Star: Promise Akinpelu”. CKDmedia.
- ^ Adeyanju, Oluwayemisi Afolabi (April 1, 2022). “FC Valletta Proposes Two Years Extension Of Contract For Promise David”. CKDmedia.
- ^ “Canadian forward David Promise moves to Sirens on a two-year deal”. Times of Malta. June 20, 2022.
- ^ “Nõmme Kalju sõlmis kolmeaastase lepingu noore Kanada ründajaga”. ERR. February 13, 2023.
- ^ Jackson, Ben (April 28, 2025). “From the Estonian top flight to the Belgian Pro League: Canada’s Promise David’s unlikely route to firing Union St Gilloise towards a first title since 1935”. OneFootball.
- ^ Kloke, Joshua (February 22, 2025). “Promise David makes his pledge to Canada, continuing his rapid ascent”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- ^ Kalvet, Madis (April 27, 2024). “Kohv paneb kasvu kinni ja uni teeb pikemaks ehk Kuidas sirgus kaks aastat armuaega saanud Promise David Eesti kaitsjate hirmuks” [Coffee stunts growth and sleep makes you taller – how Promise David, who was given two years, became the fear of Estonian defenders]. Delfi Sport (in Estonian).
- ^ “Canadese spits Promise David komt bij Union”. RUSG.
- ^ Erons, Imhons (July 2, 2024). “Confirmed: Canada-born striker of Nigerian origin joins Union Saint-Gilloise – Soccernet NG”.
- ^ “Promise David jäi debüütmängus kuivale, aga võitis Belgias esimese tiitli”. ERR. July 21, 2024.
- ^ “KVC Westerlo 4–3 Union St.-Gilloise”. ESPN. August 10, 2024.
- ^ “Promise David delivers Union St Gilloise their first title since 1935”. Get Belgian & Dutch Football News. May 25, 2025.
- ^ “Canadian David scores twice as Union Saint-Gilloise secures Belgian Championship”. TSN. May 25, 2025.
- ^ “L’Union Saint-Gilloise prolonge Promise David et réalise le 1er ‘coup’ de son mercato – RTBF Actus”. RTBF (in French). Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ Belgian, Get; read, Dutch Football News·1 min (June 17, 2025). “Union St Gilloise’s Canadian star Promise David signs new deal in Brussels”. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ “In-Form Striker Promise David Relishes Flourishing Start at Sirens FC, Opens Up on National Team Choices – Abroad”. July 24, 2022.
- ^ “18 players make Nigeria Dream Team ahead of Tanzania”. EaglesTracker. October 20, 2022.
- ^ @thenff (October 22, 2022). “Olympic Eagles player David Promise and Coach Salisu Yusuf’s reaction after 1–1 draw against Tanzania U23 in Dar es Salaam” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ “Promise David has chosen to play for Canada over Nigeria: report”. Canadian Soccer Daily. January 28, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2025.
- ^ Nightingale, Tom (February 21, 2025). “Promise David officially files switch from Nigeria to Canada, will be called up by CanMNT”. Canadian Soccer Daily.
- ^ Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (March 12, 2024). “Who is new CanMNT call-up Promise David? What you need to know about the other David tearing up Europe”. OneSoccer.
- ^ Jones, Chris (June 7, 2024). “Tajon Buchanan, Jonathan David lead the way as Canada downs Ukraine 4–2”. CBC Sports.
- ^ Promise David at Soccerway
- ^ “Promise David profile”. Estonian Football Association (in Estonian).
- ^ “Union St-Gilloise win first league title in 90 years”. Brussels Times. May 25, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
