SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes defender Carlos Akapo (Equatorial Guinea), Midfielder Michael Baldisimo (Philippines), forward Ousseni Bouda (Burkina Faso) and midfielder Carlos Gruezo (Ecuador) have been called up by their respective senior national teams for the upcoming international window.
Akapo, 31, will represent Equatorial Guinea in World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday, June 5, vs. Tunisia in Tunisia and Monday, June 10, vs. Malawi in Equatorial Guinea.
The Spanish-born right back made his debut for Equatorial Guinea in 2013. He has since earned 37 caps and scored two goals. Most recently, he competed earlier this year in the delayed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where he helped his team reach the Round of 16. The defender has been a member of the Black and Blue since 2022, notching 40 appearances and netting twice.
Baldisimo, 24, will represent the Philippines in World Cup qualifiers on Thursday, June 6, vs. Vietnam in Vietnam and Tuesday, June 11, vs. Indonesia in Indonesia.
A native of Vancouver, Canada, he played for Canada’s U-17, U-20, U-21 and U-23 teams before joining the Philippines National Team, making his debut against Iraq on March 21, 2024. The midfielder was selected by the Quakes in the 2022 MLS Re-Entry Draft after spending four years with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Baldisimo has played in 11 games for San Jose.
Bouda, 24, will represent Burkina Faso in World Cup qualifiers on Thursday, June 6, vs. Egypt in Cairo and Monday, June 10, vs. Sierra Leone in Mali.
The Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, native made his national team debut in a 3-1 victory over Eswatini on June 7, 2022, and featured in Les Étalons’ African Cup of Nations qualifying match last year. The eighth overall selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of Stanford University, Bouda has made 30 appearances across three seasons for the Quakes, most recently scoring the game-winning goal in last month’s Round of 32 matchup with Oakland Roots SC in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Gruezo, 29, will represent Ecuador in the upcoming Copa América tournament, where La Tri will face Venezuela locally at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, June 22. The group will also feature matches against Jamaica on Wednesday, June 26, and versus Mexico on Sunday, June 30.
Hailing from Santo Domingo, Ecuador, the holding midfielder has earned 56 caps for La Tri. Since signing last season with the Quakes as a Designated Player from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg, the defensive midfielder has made 41 appearances for San Jose.
