PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo Head Men's Soccer Coach Thomás Pazo Tourinho has announced the addition of Moustapha Fofana to the ThunderWolves coaching staff as Assistant Men's Soccer Coach.
Fofana arrives in Pueblo with a diverse coaching background spanning the collegiate and semi-professional levels, bringing expertise in goalkeeper development, strength and conditioning, and player development.
Most recently, Fofana served as Lead Assistant Coach for Duluth FC, helping guide the club to a conference regular season championship while developing several standout players who have gone on to excel at the collegiate and professional levels.
Prior to his time with Duluth FC, Fofana served as Lead Assistant Coach for the Lindsey Wilson College women's soccer program after previously working as a graduate assistant with the nationally recognized Lindsey Wilson men's soccer program. During his tenure with the Blue Raiders, he helped the men's program capture the Mid-South Conference Championship and advance to the NAIA National Final Four in 2022.
A former standout student-athlete, Fofana competed collegiately at Lindsey Wilson, where he served as a team captain for one of the nation's premier college soccer programs. Before arriving in the United States, he developed his game at Diambars FC Academy in Senegal, one of Africa's most respected youth academies known for producing professional players who compete at the highest levels around the world.
"We are thrilled to welcome Moustapha to our program," said Pazo Tourinho. "He brings a tremendous combination of coaching experience, player development expertise, and leadership qualities that align perfectly with the culture we are building at CSU Pueblo."
Fofana expressed excitement about joining the ThunderWolves program and helping continue its tradition of success.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to continue my coaching journey at an institution that values athletic and academic success," said Fofana. "I would like to thank Thomás Pazo and Athletic Director Dr. Paul Plinske for this opportunity. Colorado State University Pueblo and its Men's Soccer program have a decorated history of athletic success that I am thrilled to be a part of.
"Our mission will be to set a standard of greatness and strive to improve every day. I am very excited to join the Pack family. I can't wait to meet the team and look forward to building a strong team culture!"
Pazo Tourinho, who has worked alongside Fofana in multiple successful environments since 2022, believes the newest member of his staff will make an immediate impact on the program.
"I'm buzzing to have Moustapha Fofana with us as our Lead Assistant," said Pazo Tourinho.
"Coach Fof and I have worked together in multiple settings since 2022. We have won trophies together and were part of great teams where we were able to help develop phenomenal players. We were both assistants at Lindsey Wilson when we won the Mid-South Conference Championship in 2022, making a deep run into the National Final Four that year. One of our standout strikers that year, Sadam Masereka, is a key player for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks this season.
"We also won a conference regular season title with Duluth FC last summer and had Liam Pritchard as our captain, who won the NCAA Division II National Championship last year with Midwestern State while scoring in the national title match.
"Coach Fof is a tremendous coach, but more importantly, he's an amazing human being. He brings incredible playing experience as a product of Diambars, one of Senegal's premier youth academies that develops professional players every year. He was also a captain at Lindsey Wilson, one of the top college soccer programs in the country at any level.
"He also brings tremendous knowledge across multiple areas of the game. He's an outstanding goalkeeper coach, fitness coach, and understands the sport extremely well.
"Most importantly, Moustapha Fofana has incredible character and is one of the best human beings I know. I want good people around our squad, and Moustapha represents everything I believe in. The players and the program will benefit massively just being around him, and I cannot wait to see the impact he is going to make at CSU Pueblo."
Fofana joins a CSU Pueblo men's soccer program entering a new era under Pazo Tourinho's leadership, as the ThunderWolves continue building toward sustained success both on the field and in the classroom.
