Origin Story of True North Football
On Monday April 8th 2024, at a Starbucks in the small town of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, two football fanatics met to catch up on life, work, studies, and all things football.
What started off as a cordial conversation between two rival fans from Spain’s footballing giants quickly turned into a brainstorming session focused around how two Egyptian Canadians could turn their passion for football into their trade and means of making a living.
It did not take much time to realize that the two of them loved scouting, talent identification, and player development. It was from that realization that the grassroots of TNF SC began to blossom.
As time began to pass quickly, True North Football came to fruition. An organization focused on becoming the sole channel for Canadian talent to be identified within Europe, we are your primary partners in ensuring your full potential is seen, acknowledged, and given the opportunity to reach its highest heights. The future of Canadian football is exciting, and we cannot wait to become catalysts in carving out the future of its development in the years to come.
Meet the Founders
Andrew Antoun
Andrew’s academic background is in the world of Accounting and Finance, completing his Bachelor in Accounting and Finance along with a Master of Accounting. Early on in his career, Andrew began to seek opportunities to transition into the world of football, taking on a scouting designation and working as a scouting intern for Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia’s top division. Andrew also pursued a Master in Football Business, enabling him to broaden his network in the European football market by building connections with some of Europe’s elite clubs. Andrew’s Master also granted him access to pursue an internship in the operational department of STVV Sint Truidense in Belgium’s top flight, giving him insights into the business side of a top football club within Europe.
As he looks to combine his background in business with his passion for football, Andrew continues to seek opportunities to grow his presence in the world of football. Through his curiosity and desire to challenge the status quo, True North Football was born. As he looks to build out the Scouting Consultancy’s network of European Partners, Andrew is hungry to see Canada’s bright young talent thrive, develop, and be discovered as the next big stars to capture the spotlight on the world’s biggest football stages all across Europe.
Daniel Barhoma
Daniel started his journey with a degree in Computer Science and worked as a software developer before shifting to a career in sales for seven years. His knack for solving problems and connecting with people helped him succeed in the business world.
Despite his professional focus, Daniel’s love for soccer has always been a big part of his life. He’s been playing since he was eight and has always kept up with the major leagues. At one point, Daniel also had the chance to coach an Under-15s team, which gave him hands-on experience in developing young players and understanding team dynamics.
With his background in tech, sales, and soccer coaching, Daniel decided to dive into soccer scouting. His blend of skills and passion for the game now fuels his work with True North Football.
Teaming up with Andrew, Daniel is excited to help Canadian soccer players find their path to European football. He’s committed to supporting these young talents as they aim for success on the international stage.
What we do & Why we do it
True North Football is committed to growing the exposure of Canada’s best young footballing talent within the European Football Market early on in the player development cycle.
Oftentimes many young players coming out of Canada end up making the transition to European football very late into their development, stifling the opportunities they have to grow within Europe’s top academies. This greatly hinders their potential to break into the first team squads of elite European football, reducing the overall presence of Canada’s footballing talent on the grandest stage of the world’s most elite sporting competitions.
It is for these reasons that TNF SC was formed, to grant players the opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of scouts all over the European football market, allowing players the chance to be seen and discovered early on in their development journey. True North Football grants players the visibility to be scouted by top clubs across Europe and receive feedback as to how they can improve their game and take their performances to the next level; the level required by those at the top echelon of the sport.
We want to see more players reach their potential and compete in the highest level of football, as Canada is a country with immense footballing potential despite few present-day opportunities for players to make the transition to the highest level of the competition. We want to build that opportunity for Canadian players to grow. We want to see more Canadians at the top of the game, as the passion for the sport continues to grow; from Vancouver to St. John’s and everywhere in between. We want to transmit our love for the game and the joy that comes from seeing those on TV playing on the same pitch as you to more young Canadians across the country. We hope to grow the magic of football in the younger generations of one of the world’s most emerging footballing markets.
The Future is Bright
Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. Not every player is the most talented, but every player has the chance to outwork their opponent. We hope to work just as hard for you, to make sure that your hard work on the pitch gets noticed by those at the top of the world’s beautiful game. Canada’s future is bright and we hope to kindle the flame to shine even brighter for years to come.