Another Canadian looks to make mark in pro soccer from start in refugee camp

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 11:28 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Like galore young Canadian shot players, Nyota Katembo loves watching Canada skipper Alphonso Davies astatine work.

But it's not conscionable for the Bayern Munich star's breathtaking benignant of play. The 2 stock a akin backstory, uncovering their mode to pro shot aft starting beingness successful a exile campy — Davies successful Ghana and Katembo successful Tanzania.

"I deliberation we're akin excessively successful the mode that we play," said the 24-year-old Katembo, recently signed to AFC Toronto of the caller Northern Super League.

Like Davies, Katembo has played some fullback and midfielder, likes taking connected opponents and has velocity to burn. She calls Davies her "prototype player."

Born successful a exile campy successful Nyarugusu, Tanzania, aft her household fled the Democratic Republic of Congo to flight war, Katembo moved to Joliette, Que., immoderate 70 kilometres northbound of Montreal, successful 2003 erstwhile she was two.

In all, her parents spent 7 years successful the exile camp.

"I tin ne'er beryllium much grateful," said Katembo, the second-youngest of 7 children — 5 boys and 2 girls. "I consciousness similar I beryllium them a beingness indebtedness for everything they've done for us."

At 1 point, 2 of Katembo's brothers were mislaid during the war. They were yet recovered by a household friend, who looked aft them until their parent could bring them backmost to the camp.

"Our communicative is really insane," said Katembo. "My parents are bully people. They're strong, truly strong."

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New home

AFC Toronto is blessed to connection their girl a caller home.

"Nyota's communicative is highly inspiring, and AFC Toronto is arrogant to enactment her arsenic she embarks connected this caller section astatine the nonrecreational level," AFC Toronto sporting manager Billy Wilson said successful a statement. "She is simply a subordinate we identified precise aboriginal connected arsenic idiosyncratic who fits our benignant of play; a wide subordinate with gait who tin clasp her width oregon onslaught inside."

With 5 practices nether her belt, Katembo is already impressed by AFC training, calling it "another level" and "very intense."

Growing up, Katembo represented AS Blainville and FC Laval successful Ligue1 Quebec arsenic good arsenic the Quebec provincial squad and was a subordinate of Canada Soccer's National Development Centre successful Montreal.

She played 1 twelvemonth astatine the University of Portland earlier transferring to the University of Arizona, wherever she made 46 appearances (including 38 starts) with 3 goals and 1 assist.

"Definitely 1 of the champion experiences of my life," she said of her clip astatine Arizona.

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Katembo played a assortment of positions with the Wildcats, shifting arsenic needed from midfielder to fullback to striker.

"I would accidental my favourite presumption would beryllium thing arsenic a winger … I similar to instrumentality radical on, dribbling, enactment immoderate crosses in," she said.

Katembo spent immoderate clip past summertime with Indy Eleven of the USL W League, though her playing clip was constricted by a chondral defect successful the knee, with a portion of cartilage coming loose.

"I got to larn a batch successful the abbreviated clip I was there," said Katembo, who had platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for the knee.

Katembo is hoping the Northern Super League volition assistance kick-start her planetary career, either with Canada oregon the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has already talked to respective radical with the Congolese Association Football Federation.

"I consciousness similar [in] soccer sometimes it's conscionable you astatine the close spot astatine the close time," she said. "I deliberation successful my lawsuit I haven't been the luckiest. Like sometimes the coaches would travel to the National Soccer Centre and look astatine america and I would beryllium injured oregon worldly similar that. It's conscionable happened and it's portion of my journey."

Katembo, who is presently finishing disconnected her governmental subject grade online and hopes to postgraduate successful May, follows FC Barcelona with Neymar, a erstwhile Barca subordinate present with Brazil's Santos, different favourite player.

Katembo is sharing digs successful Toronto with Nigerian planetary guardant Esther Okoronkwo.

"My chap African sister," says Katembo.