FEATURED PLAYER: DIAZ KAMBERE

July 31, 2007 - Though he may still be in the early stages of his soccer career, Vancouver Whitecaps defender Diaz Kambere has experienced much in his life.

The 21-year-old has become a regular part of Bob Lilley’s squad this season, having worked his way into the first team from the club’s reserves last term. Kambere’s growth to the professional game is particularly impressive, if you consider the hardships he and his family had to endure when they moved to Canada from their native Uganda.

Kambere explains how the family’s faith in Christianity helped him and his brothers through the transition of a new life in the Lower Mainland. “Me, my parents, and my three brothers moved here from Uganda in 1992,” Kambere revealed to whitecapsfc.com. “My dad was part of the Ugandan parliament, and with all the things that were going on in relation to former Ugandan president Idi Amin, we were forced to leave the country. We came to Canada with five dollars in my dad’s pocket, so me and my brothers struggled a lot when we were growing up. Even when I was playing youth soccer, I had to phone for rides all the time, so it was always a big struggle. It is through the faith of god that we became stronger as a family, and it is that faith that has got me to where I am today. Our family comes from a very religious background.”

That strength and support has allowed Kambere to excel on the soccer pitch. The Surrey, BC, resident’s path to the Whitecaps saw him enjoy a successful two-year stint in the BC Colleges Athletic Association with Langara Falcons. The youngster was named BCCAA Rookie of the Year in 2003/04 and BCCAA Player of the Year the following season. He also claimed Canadian Colleges Athletic Association All-Canadian honours during that time. “I enjoyed my time at Langara because my coach, Marc Rizzardo, embraced me from when I first played for him in the BC provincial team,” he said. “He made me captain for the two seasons I was there. I felt comfortable at Langara, as the school atmosphere was good.”

The following two years saw Kambere make the jump to Canadian Interuniversity Sport with Trinity Western University. In his two years with the Spartans, the defender helped the Langley-based school to the Canada West championship and a third-place finish at the CIS men’s soccer nationals. He admits the move to CIS from CCAA soccer was an adjustment. “Coming from Langara, I found the CIS was very competitive,” Kambere said. “I started fitting in well in my second year, as I was more comfortable and I knew how to balance my play. My playing experience had also improved, as I was with the Whitecaps reserve team during the off-season from Trinity Western.”

During his time at university, Kambere had a job selling shoes for Aldo. “I worked there for a year to help me pay for some school,” he said. “It was customer service, and as I am a very talkative person, I like to meet and talk with people. Working there was a good thing for building my character, as I met lots of people.”
After making three appearances for the Whitecaps in 2006, Kambere has had more opportunities to test himself in USL-1 this season. He admits being a professional is a whole new playing environment. “I’m still learning a lot from the players around me,” he said. “Bob is trying me in different defensive positions, which is good experience for me. Although it took me a while to get into the swing of things, I’ve been practicing hard and trying to impress the coach. So far, it’s been paying off for me.”

Though the Whitecaps have been through a lean spell of results, Kambere remains positive that the club’s campaign can finish on a high. “I like the way things are going,” he revealed. “Although we lost four games in a row, we’ve been playing well. Things haven’t been bouncing our way, but I feel if we keep working hard, they will start going the right way with the home stretch coming up.”

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