As Canada prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto and Vancouver, there has been a growing interest in football across the vast nation.

The football awareness has led to inspiration and motivation of a new generation of talent, teams, clubs and the development of community soccer tournaments and programmes.

One of the teams that is currently swimming in the FIFA World Cup wave is the Kenyan outfit AFC Leopards Toronto FC.

The Kenyan side has been causing ripples since its inception last year, and its meteoric rise reached fever pitch at the weekend, where it sailed into the final in its debut at the third edition of the annual Pamoja Soccer Tournament held at Brampton Soccer Centre in Ontario.

“The tournament is organised by the Kenyan Canadian Association (KCA). We are also grateful to partners like the City of Brampton and the Pamoja Canada Diaspora Sacco, who came on board to support the football showdown to ensure it happened,” KCA President Ephraim Mwaura said.

During the tense final, the capacity stadium was packed to the brim as AFC Leopards Toronto challenged the experienced Zanzibar Heroes, who were also gunning for first-time glory in the tournament, having bagged silver in the two previous editions held in 2023 and 2024.

Past matches

The sides battled tooth and nail, tying 2-2 at half time. On resumption, Leopards held Zanzibar till the dying minutes of the game when they lost their nerves, giving the Zanzibaris leeway to pump in four quick goals to win the energy-sapping encounter 6-2.

“We put up a spirited fight despite the teething challenges we are facing as a team. We are happy to have reached this far in our debut in the tournament.

“We made it to the final due to teamwork, discipline and resilience despite the limited funding and logistical constraints that we are facing. We believe we can lift the overall trophy if we maintain this level of focus next season,” AFC Leopards Toronto captain Gabriel Warunga underlined.

“We urge KCA leadership to help us engage municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area so our players can access free training fields. Most of our players live within the GTA, and this support would greatly strengthen our team and help nurture young talent,” Warunga added.

Zanzibar Heroes captain Ali Faki believed they emerged champions because of their high-level organisation skills, coupled with previous experience.

“After coming second in the tournament twice, we went back to the drawing board and rectified our loopholes. This is what gave us grit throughout the tense encounter,” Faki narrated.

Apart from emerging champions, Zanzibar also made away with the Most Valuable Player award (Mohammed Mohammed), the Golden Boot Award (Ahmed Mohammed Ali – hat-trick in the final) and the Golden Glove Award (Mwinyi Mwinyi).

The tournament’s inaugural edition was won by Kenyan side Wazalendo FC in 2023, while ECCC Club from Eritrea lifted last year’s championship.

Pamoja Soccer Tournament

The Pamoja Soccer Tournament has become a unifying platform for African diaspora communities, fostering cross-cultural connections, youth engagement, and community pride. Through the leadership of KCA and the support of sponsors, volunteers, and partners, the event continues to expand its impact each year.

The KCA is a federally recognised nonprofit organisation dedicated to empowering communities through programmes in settlement support, youth engagement, cultural promotion, sports and recreation, and economic empowerment.

KCA is also committed to fostering unity, representation, and opportunities for African and diaspora communities across Canada.