This browser does not support the Video element.
FC Dallas' Kamungo shares story of humble beginnings
FOX 4's Tisia Muzinga shares the inspiring story of a rising soccer star from Tanzania. He's currently making the most of his opportunity with FC Dallas.
FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas has a lot of reasons to be proud of this season. One of them is a gifted player who signed onto the team in 2021.
Bernard Kamungo, a rising star from Tanzania, was born a few years after his parents escaped the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
His speed, footwork, and all-around athleticism are hard to miss when he’s on the field at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. But his soccer journey began at a refugee camp in Tanzania back in 2002.
He said these days he just can’t help but laugh about his first soccer ball.
"My dad used to work at the hospital as a cleaner. So, he used to have hospital gloves. So, we will kind of use that, you know, make it like a soccer ball," he said.
Growing up with limited resources and days with no food on the table was heartbreaking.
"Sometimes I come back from school and my family just wouldn’t be able to provide anything," he said.
It was a challenge that motivated him to help his family when he was 10 years old.
"I used to skip school sometimes and just try to make money on the side," he laughed. "Just trying to, you know, help the family because their life is tough."
Kamungo would soon ditch French classes to sell clothes for locals.
"They would pay me a small amount of money and then that was good enough for me because at the time, you know, just having that small amount of money just to go buy food was all I needed. To me that kept me going for a little while because I did it for like a couple of months," he said.
Kamungo said he would do anything for his family.
Mom of Nathaniel and Josh Lowe battling cancer, won’t attend Rangers-Rays playoff series
The mother of Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe and Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe will not make the trip to Tropicana Field for this week’s AL Wild Card Series featuring her sons because she is battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.
But between balancing school and finding work to help feed his family, he was still just a regular kid who loved to be outside playing soccer.
"Me, my friends, we would see other players. You know, you just want to play against them," he said.
Kamungo and his family moved to Abilene, Texas in January 2017 when he was 14.
That’s when his life changed dramatically. But it wasn’t because of the tasty southern barbecue and free lunches at Craig Middle School.
"I was first excited knowing that I’ll be going to school and get food. You know, like we get a break and eat in the middle of school. And I was like, ‘This is amazing. I’ll never stop going to school,’" he said.
And because of his undeniable talent on the soccer field, almost every one of his school-aged soccer games was a nightmare for the other team.
"We would destroy them," he laughed.
His big brother, Imani, also noticed his little brother’s skills and kept pushing him to try out as a professional soccer player.
"He just kept believing. You know he’s got that belief that nobody has seen it. So, I think he saw my talent more than everybody else," he said. "He’s the reason I’m here right now."
Kamungo eventually signed a contract with North Texas Soccer Club and then a four-year contract with FC Dallas.
It was an opportunity of a lifetime, one that would put him in the position to compete against players he grew up watching like soccer superstar Lionel Messi.
"The consistency he brings to every game is amazing. So for me, it was an honor just to share the field with him. It’s something that will stick with me my whole life," he said.
Kamungo will try to help FC Dallas get a win against the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night.
The game is at Toyota Stadium in Frisco at 7:30 p.m.