Winning GOALS

First things first: Soccer can work—and is working—in America.

Growing attendance for professional leagues, strong television ratings for national and international matches, and the game’s universal appeal for players and spectators alike have proved the sport’s viability in communities across the country, including Naples. As fútbol continues its growth in Collier County, some credit for that goes to another source. London-born Enoch Showunmi, a 6-foot, 5-inch former professional player of Nigerian descent with a master’s degree in finance, is part of a group trying to make the Naples United Football Club a unifying source of entertainment and good works.

“It’s a pleasure. Absolute pleasure,” Showunmi, 40, says when introduced, oozing charm with his dashing British accent.

Although not a household name to American audiences in the same breath as elite international stars, Showunmi had