Name: Obakeng PhiriSport: Men’s Soccer
Position: Defensive Right Back
Major: IPED
Height: 5’7 and 3/4″
Hometown: Mafikeng, South Africa
Ob grew up playing soccer since he was eight years old with the neighborhood kids. Obakeng views sports as an “important tool in life” because growing up in South Africa, “soccer was the only thing that took us away from the troubles of the country; it was the only environment we could control.” “As I play soccer here at UB the relationships I’ve built, the athletic department, the players, and the coach remind me of the simplicity one can enjoy within the complexities of this world.”
Ob, also known to the soccer team as “the nicest guy on the team” (quoting Coach Quinn) is a Sophomore IPED major, originally hailing from South Africa. In addition to playing soccer and attending classes, Ob is also the President of the International Awareness Club (IAC), looking to educate the UB populace about international issues and getting them involved as citizens of the world.