John Kandinda’s journey to STFX

First year X-Men soccer midfielder John Kandinda has one goal in his soccer career - to be able to purchase his mom a car. 

"My goal since I was a kid is to play professionally and be able to help out my family in some way. I promised my mom so if it happens, it happens but even if it doesn't, she is still proud of me."

Arriving at STFX for the first time this season, John, 19, is taking the next big step in his soccer career by donning the Blue and White this season. His soccer career however, began far from Antigonish - in Rwanda, Africa.

When he was just nine days old, the ongoing war in his home country of Republic of the Congo forced John and his family out of the country to his mother's birthplace, Rwanda. At the time, John's father was a general for the Congolese military and stayed behind as John, his siblings and his mother left in search of a safer environment. 

From Rwanda, John and his family moved to Burundi before heading back to Congo to stay in a United Nations refugee camp. Here, they lived for two months before moving back to Rwanda to live with John's grandfather. 

It was here where John first discovered his love for soccer. 

"I started playing when I was four. My mom told me I used to follow my uncles everywhere they went because they played soccer. I was a keeper at first because my uncles needed someone to shoot on," John laughed. "(They) used to teach me things when I was growing up. One of my uncles actually played pro, he played for the Rwanda national team."

John's dad too had once been a promising soccer player.

"Apparently my dad used to be a really good soccer player too. They even had a nickname for him, I can't remember what it was but I have heard stories about him. He got shot in the foot when he was in the military so he wasn't really able to play much after that."

Growing up, John would play soccer with other children in the neighborhood, sometimes kicking around makeshift balls made of bags and balloons into objects resembling soccer nets. 

"In Rwanda, soccer is a 'get out' for everybody because when you don't have much to do, you go play for joy. A lot of times we made the balls we played with and we would shoot on makeshift nets. I had the opportunity to buy balls sometimes because I was lucky to be on the good side, but we played all the time either way because it brought everyone joy."

When he was nine years old, John and his family moved from Rwanda to Edmonton to live with his grandfather. Then in 2022, John's father accepted a new job in Moncton and the family headed East. 

"My parents knew it was safer to be in Canada and they knew education would be much better here," Kandinda notes.

Along his journey, John learned to speak six languages: Kinyarwanda, Kinyamulenge, Swahili, French, Lingala and English.

When he was 15 years old, John was offered a development contract with the Whitecaps Residency Program, but says he didn't go because his parents didn't want him so far away from home. 

Instead, he opted to play for the Halifax Wanderers U21 team when he was 17. During that same time, John took part in a showcase tournament in Halifax where he was named tournament MVP.

It was here when John first came onto the radar of the STFX coaching staff when he played on a team coached by assistant coach Pat Thomson, who immediately saw something special.

"The first thing I noticed about John was his ability to progress the ball and retain possession regardless of what position I put him in," said Thomson. "He has an elite technical ability in tight areas and reads the game exceptionally well. More importantly, John was a unifier for his teammates and made everybody else around him better."

"The more I watched John as the months went by following the showcase, the more I saw who John is as a player and a person. On the pitch, he connects the back line to our attack and off the pitch he is a player who connects teammates."

After receiving offers from multiple universities across Canada and the U.S, John says he was encouraged to attend STFX by his former teammate and X-Men soccer alumni, Anders Good, who spoke highly of the program and head coach Graham Kennedy. 

Kennedy, who is in his 17th season as X-Men head coach, says he knew Kandinda would be a good fit at X after seeing him play as a high schooler. 

"The first time I saw John play, I knew I wanted to coach him," he said. "He plays with flair, personality, and confidence. He's a special player with a great story behind him."

In his first season in Antigonish, John says he has already seen improvement in his game, much of which has come from the guidance of Coach Kennedy.

"GK is such a good coach. He understands where your flaws are and he can tell you what you need to work on just by looking at you. He always gives you the right information, when other coaches sometimes expect you to already know things. I think I have improved a lot since I have come here."

With a bright future ahead and a strong support system around him, John Kandinda is poised to be a force on the AUS pitch for years to come. 

"It's crazy (joining STFX) because I look at some of these guys and think, 'They shouldn't be playing here, they are too good, they should be playing pro'. I don't play a lot right now but I am taking notes on how to get better because I was told players grow up quick. I will keep learning and keep working so I will be ready to go next year."

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