Pacific FC has found their man.

Former Norwegian international and Vancouver Whitecap defender Pa-Modou Kah was unveiled as the club’s new manager on Tuesday.

It’s the 39-year-old’s first stint as a head coach after assistant roles with the Whitecaps 2 and, most recently, expansion MLS side FC Cincinnati in 2019.

Capped 10 times for Norway, Kah made over 400 club appearances during his pro career, playing in the top leagues of Norway, Sweden, Holland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and in MLS, with Portland and Vancouver. At one time, he played alongside Pacific FC defender Marcel de Jong at Dutch club Roda JC.

“I’m here to build a legacy together with the people at the club, so that together they can create something for the Island,” Kah told CanPL.ca. “The Island actually has a great football background and history, and we have to tap into that. All the young players, can we inspire them? Can we make them ambitious?”

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Kah replaces Michael Silberbauer, Pacific FC’s first coach, after the sides mutually agreed to part ways before the final game of the club’s inaugural season against Valour FC last October.

Several Pacific FC players played under Kah at Whitecaps 2, including Kadin Chung, Terran Campbell, Matthew Baldisimo.

“Pa is a leader with an impressive background on and off the field,” said Rob Friend, CEO of Pacific FC. “We are extremely fortunate to have secured someone of this profile, who understands the North American market, has international connections and ultimately is very familiar with a majority of our players.”

The club also announced Tuesday that James Merriman will remain as an associate head coach and technical director for PFC’s youth program. Joining Kah and Merriman will be Riley O’Neill as assistant coach and youth staff coach. Neil Sedgwick will take over as manager of youth development.

O’Neill, a former Canada under-20s prospect, played for the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA, German sides SV Wilhelmshaven and Eintracht Braunschweig and Finish outfit Myllykosken Pallo -47 before returning home to British Columbia to coach.

“With the new coaching roster we have put together, we have some of the best player development coaches in the province, if not the country,” said Josh Simpson, President Pacific FC. “We are investing heavily in youth and we’re proud to be able to provide this level of professional coaching to aspiring players on the island.”

Kah inherits a squad of eight re-signed players from the 2019 CPL season, including youngsters Campbell, Chung and Noah Verhoeven.