Eliav Gabay
“Why did you become a coach?”
“So I can inspire.”
That was Pa-Modou Kah’s answer to a fan at Pedal Haus Brewery in downtown Phoenix as he got his first chance to meet Rising fans.
Meet Phoenix Rising FC’s new head coach, Pa-Modou Kah: A Man of the People
Voice of #RisingFC @JKMcClatchey got to know the new gaffer with an audience of fans⚽️@Sports360AZ @PMKAH @PHXRisingFC pic.twitter.com/SIHOMkCEa9
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) January 10, 2025
He’s a personable guy who put a big emphasis in the importance of community throughout the locker room and the city as a whole.
“To be a distant coach – I’ve never been that and I’m never gonna be that…For me, being a family, that’s the most important thing.”
He showed that in his actions as well – introducing himself one by one to fans, media members, and staffers…his enthusiasm and eagerness to get to work stuck out from the jump.
“We want players who really see Phoenix as a club of destiny. They desire to be here, they desire to play for these people that are here today and the one’s at the stadium…That’s what football is about. Football is about the fans, the community, and the players. We wanted players that truly wanted to come here.”
As far as football X’s and O’s, he prefers a 4-3-3 formation if he had his pick of players who can fill those roles properly: “We’re looking to be a balanced team…position-based football to a limit.”
“This is a great place for me to start my [head coaching] journey with a club that is also very ambitious.”
Coming from Charlotte FC of the MLS, where he spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach, he’s bringing that experience as well as his time as a player in the Netherlands and Qatar.
More quotes that give you a peak into his psyche:
“Serious fun, you have to find the balance…”
“It’s about all of us evolving together…”
“I want this stadium to be a fortress…”
When a guy speaks seven languages like Coach Pa, being multi-talented isn’t an issue.
The question is, can he hone the momentum he’s working to muster up in the new year into proper leadership for a franchise, & fan base, looking to recapture the championship magic from a couple seasons ago?
We’re excited to find out.
