Kenyan side Wazalendo FC beat Tanzania’s Zan Heroes FC 4-3 in the Pamoja Soccer Tournament final at the SaveMax Sports Centre in Ontario as Canada intensify preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
Ayub Moses led the Kenyan side with a brace while captain Isaac Onyango and Richard Nene added a goal each.
Ayub also won the Golden Boot Award as Nene went home with the Most Valuable Player award. The Golden Glove Award went to Anwar Suleiman of Tanzania.
Uganda beat Ivory Coast 5-4 to lift the bronze medal.
The tournament, organised by the Kenyan Canadian Association, also sought to promote mental health and wellbeing among the youth, through the Ontario Youth Wellness Grant.
“It was such a good tournament. We are proud of our victory. I want to thank the Kenyan Canadian Association for the good work and to all the teams that participated,” Onyango said.
Tanzania skipper Ali Faki rued their missed chances but said he was proud that they gave the Kenyans a run for their money.
“It was hard luck on our side. But to be honest, we really enjoyed the competition, there’s always next time,” Faki stated.
Uganda captain, Alex Kabwama, said: “It was a great tournament, so competitive. I can’t wait for the next edition.”
There are plans to expand the tournament to a 12-team contest for next year, according to Kenyan Canadian Association President and Executive Director, Ephraim Mwaura.
"There is a huge number of talented youths in the black community, but there is an acute scarcity of requisite resources to nurture the talent at the club level," said Mwaura.
''The youth derive huge benefits by engaging in a sport like soccer. We hope that this initiative will get support from the government as well as donors and corporate sponsors. Kenyan Canadian Association is ready to work with all stakeholders to ensure this initiative is sustainable."
“We urge Sport Canada to support the black youth by funding the soccer clubs. Our sports and recreation program will continue to collaborate with sports clubs across Canada to build their capacity,” Mwaura added.
