Columbia HS boys soccer team honors late teammate Moussa Fofana

Moussa Fofana controls the ball during a game.
Moussa Fofana

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School boys soccer team honored their late teammate, Moussa Fofana, on Friday night, Oct. 22, at Underhill Field on senior night.

Fofana,18, was fatally shot at Underhill Field on June 6. He would have been a senior at CHS.

“It was a very special night for all the players but especially the seniors,” CHS head coach Ryan Muirhead said in an email to the News-Record. “We’ve always kept Moussa with us (his number on our sleeves, his jersey on the bench), but tonight was perhaps the most noticeable display of his absence. We were very grateful that his mother was willing to join us, as we knew returning to Underhill may be difficult, but everyone was very excited to see her there. All three goals on the evening were scored by seniors — Zach Johnson, Sebastian Kalogerou and Charlie Herley. 

The Cougars defeated Dayton, 3-0, on senior night in a nonconference game for their third straight victory to improve to an 11-5 overall record on the season. Senior goalie Cole Strupp made four saves for the shutout.

The Cougars are in first place in the Super Essex Conference–Liberty Division with a 6-1 division record. They were scheduled to visit Newark East Side on Oct. 26 and host Lakeland on Oct. 28, both at 4 p.m and both nonconference games. The state tournament begins Nov. 1.