Raphael Ohin has known joy and he’s known heartbreak during his days with Valour FC.
A member of the club since its inaugural season, he’s seen the impact Winnipeg’s Canadian Premier League franchise can have when the vessel is riding high and the disappointment that comes as it navigates through rocky waters.
All of that – along with his dedication to the Valour badge and his perseverance in coming back from two season-ending knee injuries – have helped build a powerful combination, one management and his teammates believe make him the best choice to wear the captain’s arm band.
And on Tuesday, just days prior to Sunday’s 2024 season opener in Vancouver, the club made it official by naming the 28-year-old Ghana-born/Winnipeg raised midfielder the squad’s captain.
“It’s unbelievable,” began Ohin in conversation with valourfootball.club. “For me to be picked to be in this role is an honour. I’ve been in this locker room since Day 1. I’m the last man standing from that group. Over the years I’ve seen players, I’ve seen staffs and captains who are passionate about that locker room.
“It means a lot. And it means a lot coming in the city that means so much to me and gave me the chance to dream again.”
Ohin replaces Diego Gutiérrez, who was the captain last year before signing with Cavalry FC and joins a list of Valour captains that also includes Skylar Thomas/Jordan Murrell (2019), Dylan Carreiro and Daryl Fordyce (2020) and Fordyce and Andrew Jean-Baptiste (2021-22).
The decision to anoint Ohin the newest captain came after discussion by the coaching staff and with input from players. Ultimately, GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos believes this year’s veteran-laden squad will have a number of important voices in the room.
“A guy like Haris (Chantzopoulos) we know right away he’s going to be a leadership figure because he’s been the captain of his club for the last four years before coming here,” said Dos Santos. “Dante Campbell is another. He has been around and served as captain a few times last season.
“I told the guys this, ‘Raph is here. He calls Winnipeg home more than any other player.’ That has a value for us because he’s a player who is respected in the community and with his peers, not only for what he does off the field, but who he is on the field. It became a no brainer for us.
“Ultimately, leadership has to come from everywhere. One wears the armband, but there’s a guy on any given day who is going to show up and lead the team in a different way. And on match day, I want 11 captains. You want a guy that embodies the club and there’s nobody better than Raph Ohin right now.”
Ohin was one of Valour’s first signings, coming aboard in January of 2019 – months before the franchise’s inaugural game. Back then he was a wide-eyed rookie soaking in everything that came with being a pro.
And now…
“The Raph then was a young pro coming into a locker room that had former MLS players and guys who had been pros for a long time,” he said. “That was a bit intimidating, but it was a good environment to watch and learn in at the beginning and then learn and mature as time goes on. There’s a big difference between the Raph then and the Raph now.
“What makes a good captain, number one, is to begin by just being myself. One of my strengths is being humble and treating everyone with respect. Sometimes people take on the responsibility of being a captain and all of a sudden they think they’re above everyone else and that’s where the ego comes in. Being a good captain is based on what is inside you. Then there’s the passion I have on the field and the role of helping drive my teammates when they are down.
“Most of all, it’s about setting a high standard by being a good example and reminding everyone of what this team means to this city. It’s an everyday thing and because I live here it means so much to me.”