SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes defender Carlos Akapo (Equatorial Guinea), forward Ousseni Bouda (Burkina Faso), midfielder Carlos Gruezo (Ecuador) have been called up by their respective senior national teams and cleared to play in upcoming international friendlies.
Akapo, 31, will represent Equatorial Guinea against Algeria on Tuesday, Nov. 14, and will face Togo on Sunday, Nov. 17.
The Spanish-born right back made his debut for Equatorial Guinea, with whom he holds citizenship due to his father, in 2013. Akapo 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 Quakes since 2022, amassing 49 appearances and netting twice with five assists.
Bouda, 24, will represent Burkina Faso against Mali on Thursday, Nov. 14, and will face Malawi on Monday, Nov. 18.
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 36 league appearances across three seasons for the Quakes. He scored the game-winning goal in the Round of 32 matchup with Oakland Roots SC in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 7 and in MLS play against Minnesota United FC on Aug. 31.
Gruezo, 29, will represent Ecuador against Bolivia on Tuesday, Nov. 14, and will face Colombia on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
Hailing from Santo Domingo, Ecuador, the holding midfielder has earned 56 caps, most recently in the 2024 Copa América, where La Tri advanced to the quarterfinals. Since signing last season with the Quakes as a Designated Player from Bundesliga club FC Augsburg, the defensive midfielder has made 52 league appearances for San Jose and tallied three assists.
