Kei Kamara featured in the 2023 MLS All-Star Roster

Former Sierra Leonean star striker, Kei Kamara, has received a prestigious honor as he was chosen for the 2023 MLS All-Star Roster, announced by Commissioner Don Garber. This marks Kamara’s second inclusion in the MLS All-Star Game, having previously participated in the 2015 edition. His selection brings a sense of pride to his current club, Chicago Fire, as he becomes the team’s first player since Bastian Schweinsteiger in 2019 to receive this recognition

The highly anticipated 2023 MLS All-Star Game, presented by Target, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, July 19. The MLS All-Stars will lock horns with English Premier League side, Arsenal. The match will be held at Audi Field, home of D.C. United. 

The All-Star roster was determined through a combination of fan, player, and media voting, with 12 players chosen by All-Star head coach Wayne Rooney of host club D.C. United, and two selections made directly by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

With 16 years of experience in the Major League Soccer, Kamara’s impressive career statistics highlight his influence on the field. He has featured in 407 regular season matches, starting 322 of them and accumulating a remarkable 29,550 minutes of playtime. Throughout his career, Kamara has netted an impressive 144 goals and provided 55 assists. Remarkably, he stands on the verge of equaling Landon Donovan’s second-most goals record in MLS history, sitting just one goal away from the milestone. Moreover, Kamara holds the distinction of being the active player with the most goals in League history. He is among the exclusive group of 10 players in MLS history to have scored over 100 regular season goals.

His inclusion in the 2015 MLS All-Star Game was well-deserved, as he had a stellar season with the Columbus Crew, recording a personal best of 22 goals. He was subsequently recognized with a spot on the 2015 MLS Best XI, solidifying his status as one of the league’s premier forwards. Additionally, his contributions off the field were acknowledged when he was named the MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year in 2015.

After spending the 2022 season with Montréal, Kamara joined the Chicago Fire FC. However, his MLS journey began in 2006 when he was drafted as the ninth overall pick by the Columbus Crew in the MLS SuperDraft. Kamara embarked on a multi-faceted career, playing for various teams including the San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City (where he won the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup), and eventually returning to the Columbus Crew in 2015. During his second stint with the Crew, Kamara achieved a career-high 22 goals in the 2015 season, sharing the League’s top goal-scoring honors with Sebastian Giovinco and contributing to the team’s MLS Cup run.

Following his time in Columbus, Kamara continued to make an impact, representing the New England Revolution, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Colorado Rapids, Minnesota United FC, and Montréal. Now, with his selection to the 2023 MLS All-Star Roster, Kamara adds another remarkable chapter to his illustrious career.

As Kamara prepares to showcase his skills against Arsenal FC and stand alongside the best talents in MLS, the Chicago Fire FC and their fans eagerly anticipate his performance on the grand stage of the All-Star Game.