Patrick Obaze, African Canadian Soccer and Cultural Association president, said last Sunday that he has plans to introduce an African soccer league in British Columbia.
Patrick (photo) was speaking at the annual general meeting of the association at Lagos Corner restaurant in Burnaby. His term ended at the Sunday meeting but he has declared an intention to run for a second term at elections slated for Sunday November 7 at the same venue.
In his report on the past year, the ACSCA chief executive briefly narrated the history of the association which started 16 years ago as a loose club of African soccer lovers organizing matches among themselves to its present status as a recognized soccer association registered with the BC provincial government.
The association has been able, he said, to organize highly popular soccer tournaments attended by thousands of people from BC’s Lower Mainland, Washington state (USA) and beyond. ACSCA, he added, has over the years attracted major sponsors like Western Union, Heineken Canada, UMBRO, Abantu beauty Products and many more.
If he gets a second mandate, Patrick went on to explain, he plans to bring in more women into the association’s board of directors (there are currently only two in about 15 members), increase the number of participating teams in the annual soccer tournament ( from the current 16), organize more fundraising events, register ACSCA in the BC Soccer Federation and make ACSCA the umbrella organization for all African community associations in BC.
"I also intend to organize an African Sports Day, funds permitting, to include soccer matches, general sports and cultural activities," he said. So far nobody has announced any intention to challenge Patrick for the presidency.
Dominic Usseni, a soccer enthusiast, said there is still time. The deadline for nominations or declarations of intent is November 2.
"People don’t take decisions like this (running for office) lightly. They have to consult other people, members of their family etc," he said. Dominic is the owner and team manager of team Mozambique, winner of this year’s soccer tournament organized by ACSCA.
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