Aztex forward Alfred Koroma Shams eager for Texas return

Austin's Alfred Koroma Shams

Austin Aztex forward Alfred Koroma Shams has never really had a permanent home.

Shams fled his home country of Sierra Leone as a child along with his mother. He spent several semesters with the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in Florida, and he has bounced around from various clubs and teams, whether domestically or most recently in Brazil.

Austin represents a bit of a homecoming location for Shams, whose legal guardians are from Fort Worth, Texas.

“It’s refreshing coming to Austin and sticking close to my family,” Shams said. “Since I was 11, I’ve been away playing soccer, playing at Residency as well, and you have to learn how to grow up real quick. It’s been hard, but a couple months ago I had the opportunity to come to Austin and it was time for a change.”

For more, visit USLSoccer.com.