Kembo Kibato has come home, and he couldn’t be happier.
The North Toronto native has followed his soccer dream through Denmark, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hartford, and then Vancouver.
A midfielder, the 24-year-old played most of last year with Vancouver FC in the Canadian Premier League before being traded to York United late last season.
“It’s been a dream come true for me obviously,” said Kibato, after practice this week under the dome at York Lions Stadium. “I grew up playing here in all the schools, then overseas.”
“I finally got the move to come back here to Toronto to finally play professional soccer in front of my family and all my friends, it was a big moment.”
The professional opportunity in the United Soccer League helped Kibato’s career as he achieved personal accolades and grew as a player.
“I received Newcomer of the Year, my first year and then Young Player of the Year the next year,” he said.
“Tulsa was an amazing place for me, just in terms of how much the fans recognized me, the players, I had a great time there.”
The impact of coming home and having team success is a moment from last season when Kibato was acquired that stands out to him the most.
“I came (to York United) towards the end of the season, and I just gelled really well with the coaching staff, all the players and we ended up pushing for playoffs.” said the midfielder.
“We won that first playoff game at home. It was a record season and win for the club. It was in front of all my friends and all my family, that moment was one of my highlights.”
Preparing for this upcoming season coach Mauro Eustaquio knows that consistency and execution are going to be the keys to keeping Kibato and the team on the right track.
“I think that’s a big piece of his game bringing that consistency. I think Kembo is someone that knows the game,” said the coach.
“So being able to execute what the team needs, being able to execute what our staff wants”.
York United opens the 2025 season on April 6 in Vancouver and comes home April 13 vs. Halifax.
