FEATURED
PLAYER
ABRAHAM
OSMAN OF OTTAWA WIZARDS
It's
very unusual for a player in any sport to win the league's MVP
two years running. But Abraham Osman may not be just any player.
When you speak with the highly articulate 26 year old striker
with the Ottawa Wizards you have a sense of dealing with someone
a little different-and when you probe enough you find out life
for the Uganda-born has not exactly been a run of the mill experience.
Osman's father did missionary work for the United Nations-and
that means lots of travel, visiting many countries particularly
in the Middle East, but also places like London, England where
if soccer was not one of your main sports of interest-that's
likely to change very quickly.
"I did not play much soccer in Uganda but I played a lot
in other countries and became a real fan of England's John Barnes
who played for Liverpool at the time," explained the Wizards'
captain in 2001.
Abraham Osman found the net 17 times in the highly successful
2002 season when the Wizards won the Eastern Conference title,
the Canada Cup and Rogers Cup for the overall CPSL championship,
and his tally came on top of the 12 goals in the 2001 inaugural
year. But leadership qualities and the ability to set up goals
add another dimension to Osman's presence, including a demeanor
that makes him also a tip-top Camp Director at the Wizards'
summer and winter soccer camps and a variety of promotional
events he's called upon to be a part of.
Osman trialed in Turkey at one stage of his career and took
part in the World Games for the Canadian National Military Team.
Looking forward to the new season, Osman spoke of an even better
year. "I'm looking forward to a season with Hubert (Busby)-he
is great with the players and knows how to get results,"
he said.
It's season number three for the Wizards, and another title
win is very much the buzz around the OZ camp at Carp on the
outskirts of the capital city. And you can count on Abraham
Osman being a big part of the upcoming campaign.
