Pa-Modou Kah's transition for the playing field to the coach's bench is complete after he announced his retirement on Tuesday. Thus ends a 19-year career which saw him play professionally in Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Qatar and Saudi Arabia before ending his career in Major League Soccer with the Portland Timbers and then Vancouver Whitecaps.
Distinguished career comes to an end
Kah's professional odyssey wound its way through Scandinavia and the Middle East before bringing him to North America. He began his career with Valerenga before moving on to AIK and Roda JC. His performances throughout Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands earned him 10 caps with the Norwegian national team before he moved to Al Khor in Qatar. Brief spells with Qatar SC and Al-Wehda followed before he made his name in the United States with the Portland Timbers.
40 appearances later and he moved on to Vancouver, where he spent two seasons. In 2016, he terminated his MLS contract to move on to Vancouver's second team where he served as a player coach. Now, the move which began last year has been completed as Kah will serve as a coach with the Whitecaps organization.
Kah excited to stay in Vancouver
Kah seems thrilled to be staying in British Columbia.
“It’s been an amazing 20 years and although it saddens me to be hanging up the boots for good, I feel incredibly grateful to be given the chance to start coaching for Whitecaps FC and continue my journey here in Vancouver,” he said. “Thank you Whitecaps FC, for believing in me and giving me this tremendous opportunity.”
On Tuesday, Kah published a touching retirement letter he penned for his daughter and thanked all those who helped him along the way. In it, he recalled walking onto the pitch with his daughter in his arms, and pinpointed that as the pinnacle of his career.
He said to her, "You are my greatest accomplishment and my biggest dream was to walk on the pitch with you. I got to do that, and for that I will forever be thankful. After that game I told your mommy I was ready. Although I still played a few more games, that specific game was my career reaching full circle."
Now, he will move on and help the Whitecaps prepare for their impending CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal against the New York Red Bulls and their MLS opener on March 5th against the Philadelphia Union.