ARMANDO COSTA LIVED THE GAME

Armando Costa lived the game. His life-long passion never really left him since growing up in Bombarral in central Portugal where he was born 63 years ago and where he was eventually signed by the local professional club SCE Bombarralense.

The popular, former player turned coach and one of the most talented technical men in Canadian soccer, the head coach and director of soccer operations for Brampton City Utd, passed away on Friday following a two-year battle with cancer.

“But he worried more about Canadian soccer and about the Canadian national team and talked about it a lot,” said nephew Alain, who followed his uncle’s soccer career in Canada closely over the years. Uncle Armando had arrived in Canada in 1968, played for First Portuguese in the National Soccer League for 15 years – the longest serving player in the league’s history. He also played top indoor soccer with the Buffalo Stallions of the Major Indoor Professional League from 1980 to 82 before turning to coaching.

Armed with a Class A coaching certificate, Armando Costa took First Portuguese to win the NSL Super Cup, became a High Performance coach for the Ontario Soccer Association involved in both the provincial and national programs and was on the coaching staff of the Toronto Lynx in the USL Division 1. He was commissioned to coach Saadi Ghaddafi of Libya who played for Perugia in Italy, following which he was invited to stay in Libya to assist with the Libyan Men’s National Team and he created for that country a Libyan National Youth Team program.

FIFA man Dick Howard, a former professional goalkeeper in the UK, Canada and the United States was one of many who commented on the loss by saying: “ A sad day for soccer in Canada. Armando gave so much to the game at all levels both on and off the field over the years. Fond memories for his many friends in the game who played with him or benefited from his coaching expertise. Truly one of the unsung heroes of Canadian soccer who never lost his love for the game. I will miss him. “

Bob Iarusci, one of Canada’s outstanding defenders, captained Canada’s national team, who played alongside Pele for New York Cosmos in the old NASL, spoke of the the passion that was Armando Costa. “He loved the game…never stopped analyzing it…studying it. He loved Canada and the Canadian soccer

landscape, believed we could produce great players here…he was a dedicated coach who took his talents locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. I will miss his phone calls and his stories,” said Iarusci

In 2008 Armando Costa was appointed head coach of Brampton Lions of the Canadian Soccer League and was retained by Brampton City Utd in a change of ownership in 2010. “Armando’s presence was important to us and I’m personally a better person for having known him,” said Michael DiMatteo, part-owner of Brampton City Utd.

Armando is survived by his wife Linda, daughters Sandy (son-in-law Pedro) Natalie and Catarina, brother Emilio, sister Idalina, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Raquel

Visitation is on Tuesday between 2pm and 9pm at Cardinal Funeral Home on Bathurst Street at Dundas in Toronto and funeral services will be Wednesday morning at 11am at the funeral home, following which he will be taken to Westminster Cemetery at Bathurst and Finch for his final resting place.

The Canadian Soccer League, the team owners and staff, match officials and all who benefited by Armando Costa’s presence, send their sincerest condolences to Armando’s wife Linda and the entire family.

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