From a school teacher to creating a football legacy, Seth Amoafo speaks of his dynamic journey making a mark in Abu Dhabi
When Seth first arrived in Abu Dhabi, the plan was to leave in two years. Ten years later, PASS Abu Dhabi and him continue to thrive.
The city’s best-known and most-loved football programme, was founded by Seth Amoafo to bridge the gap between budding footballers in schools and the field. In this edition of Abu Dhabi People, we take a closer at look at his journey in the UAE.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I was born in Ghana in 1990, moved to the UK in 1991, studied law at university, qualified as a PGCE teacher and moved to the UAE in 2009. I arrived in Abu Dhabi as a teacher and have ended up setting up and running a community football organisation, PASS Abu Dhabi.
How and when did you move here, and what inspired the move?
I was coaching for Chelsea FC in England and discovered my love for developing young people. My dad was working in Kuwait at the time so encouraged me to undertake a PGCE course to become a teacher and move to the Middle East to further pursue my love of working with youngsters and that’s what I did.
I completed my course, gained two years’ worth of experience and then found a role here in Abu Dhabi. I remember exiting the plane for the first time on 13 August, 2009 and feeling the gust of hot air in my face!
How has living in Abu Dhabi shaped your sense of belonging and community?
Abu Dhabi and community go together like the E11 and Nissan Patrols! We have had both our children here and I will always remember the support offered to us by friends and neighbours.
I even remember someone we’d not long met calling me when we brought our first child (Noah) home to let us know he’d left a takeaway at our door. The world is slightly cynical these days but thankfully the Abu Dhabi community hasn’t received that message.
Can you tell us about a particular person in Abu Dhabi who has had a significant impact on your life and why?
Apart from my wife and family, I wouldn’t necessarily point out a person but more a community of people, and by that I mean the PASS Abu Dhabi community of parents, players and staff that I’m privileged to have the opportunity to oversee.
We have an incredibly fantastic group of people in our PASS family and they ensure I and the team continue to strive to do what we can to continue to help. Not many people are blessed enough to combine their purpose with their passion and I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to say that I haven’t had a job for along time.
What is your favourite thing about the emirate and why?
The sense of community and the feeling of safety for my family.
A myth about Abu Dhabi that you would like to bust…
I have to say I get extremely annoyed at the West’s perception of Abu Dhabi and the UAE in general. It riles me when I see or hear people from home describing the UAE as anything but the safest, cleanest and most welcoming country in the world.
Could you share a memorable moment when you felt the genuine warmth and hospitality of the Abu Dhabi community in your own life?
There have been many in my 14 years here, from unexpected tickets to events etc but I would say that the story above of the neighbour providing us with a surprise takeaway when we brought Noah home some 11 years ago was the first real example of genuine and surprising hospitality and probably most touching personally.
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