Bobson Sesay and the Vancouver African Soccer Tournament

Many Sierra Leonean soccer enthusiasts would recall the name "Bobson Sesay".He was one of the country’s most prominent soccer players of the 90s.

Born in Port Loko town in 1968,Bobson, as he is fondly known, attended the Bo government secondary school(Bo School) and Koyeima secondary school and was one of the strikers of Bai Bureh Warriors of Port Loko and East End Lions of Freetown.

In 1993, he came to Canada on the International Youth Exchange Program and spent a year as a volunteer helping the handicapped in local workshops and other settings.

As the civil war in Sierra Leone intensfified, Bobson applied for an extended visa which was granted by the Canadian government.

Meanwhile he was actively involved in the soccer scene in Vancouver, Canada and has, with other African soccer maestros, been organizing soccer tournaments for the enjoyment of the local African-Canadian community and other Canadians.

Now retired from active soccer, he used to play professional soccer in Canada and was part of the Leone Stars during the African Nations Cup in South Africa in 1996.

Currently one of the managers of the African Soccer Club(ASC) in Vancouver, Bobson told me recently that they are organizing a soccer tournament on July 12 and 13 at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex in Vancouver. Other African personalities involved in the organizing of this tournament include popular DJ Patrick Mutombo and well known socialites Ochieng, Dominic and Adebo. Entrance is free and the latest in African music and a variety of African food will be part of the huge entertainment program. There will also be a tournament for kids.The African Soccer Tournament, an annual affair, has been in existence for about 10 years now thanks to Bobson and other dedicated soccer experts.

Bobson, a close friend of famous Sierra Leonean soccer star Mohamed Kallon, plans to visit Sierra Leone later this year to explore ways he can help local players and the country’s soccer generally.

Photo, left to right: Bobson,Mohamed Kallon and Dominic,a mutual friend.