Soccer is a big part of Abuma Danjuma’s life.
He kicked his first ball when he was just three years old and played on teams around Edmonton throughout his childhood. Soccer has taught him the importance of being a team player, how to communicate and how to rely on community.
As an adult, Danjuma still tries to get in as many games as he can. He was one of more than 800 soccer players who took part in the 16th Annual All Africa Soccer Tournament and Festival, hosted by the Africa Centre and sponsored by the City of Edmonton. The event took place June 28 to 30 at M.E. LaZerte High School.
A cultural exchange
Danjuma played striker and attacking midfielder for Team Kenya in the men’s division. “The competition is my favorite part of this tournament. Everybody that plays for a team wants to win,” he said.
The All Africa Soccer Tournament and Festival brings players together, ranging in age from seven to 45, to play hard, build community and celebrate shared cultural experiences. When the tournament first started 16 years ago, there were only five teams. Now, it has grown to include more than 2,000 players and spectators, with 25 African countries represented.
“The tournament is about bringing communities together through soccer—that’s the whole point,” said event organizer Dominic Sithole. In the future, he hopes to see all 54 countries in Africa represented.
In the men’s division gold medal game, Team Kenya beat Team Sudan 5 to 2.
“I’m so happy we won, it’s what I live for,” said Danjuma, who was participating in the tournament for the first time. “If I lost today, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Winning is everything to me.”
The event also helped Danjuma meet new people and feel more connected.
“When you play with someone for a while, there’s that passion, there’s that fight, there’s that spirit. So they end up just becoming your brothers,” he said of his teammates.
Olugbenga Fakayode, coach of Team Kenya, said the tournament is a great way to combine competition with community.
“There is the African community but we not only have Africans here, we see people from other parts of the world coming to celebrate with us,” he said. “This is a kind of connection…people now know about different countries in Africa and I’ve been able to meet people from all over Africa, Asia, North America and South America. It’s something amazing and that’s what Canada is all about.”
Building connections off the field
Beyond the soccer matches, the tournament is a lively festival fostering community and supporting local businesses. Attendees can explore activities from jumping castles to live entertainment to cultural food.
“It means a lot to have local vendors here because they can introduce themselves to the community, especially people that are new to the city that don’t know they exist,” said Sithole.
This year’s festival had 14 Black and newcomer-owned businesses offering food, clothing, wellness products and more, including JNg Afro Foods, Gentea Bubble Tea and Bhagvan’s Dairy Cream. Attendees also enjoyed afrobeats from DJ TanUp and a special performance by Kenny Bizzoh.
The more opportunities there are for people to come together in celebration, the more people can begin to understand each other. This is part of the reason why the All Africa Soccer Tournament and Festival exists and why it continues to be successful year after year.
By investing in initiatives that bring people together through shared interests and cultural celebrations, Edmonton is truly building a stronger, more vibrant city for everyone.
Editor’s note: the pic at the top of the post shows Team Kenya players celebrating as they get their first-place trophy at M.E. LaZerte High School on June 30, 2025.