Pacific FC will look to French veteran Aly Ndom to carry some of the load in the middle of the pitch after losing midfield engine Manny Aparicio in the off-season, although Ndom is more of a defensive player than the attacking Aparicio.
The Tridents announced Thursday that Ndom, 27, has been signed to a two-year guaranteed Canadian Premier League contract. He played last season for IFK Mariehamn of Finland’s top-pro Premiership Veikkausliiga with two assists in 28 games.
Ndom came up in the Stade de Reims academy system and rose to play through the club’s reserve and graduating to its senior team as it earned promotion from Ligue 2 to the French Premiership Ligue 1 in 2018. The five-foot-11 Ndom played 64 games for Stade Reims B from 2014 to 2019 and 64 games for the Stade Reims top team from 2015 to 2019, so he has been involved in some good football.
Ndom’s highest market value when with Stade Reims, according to Transfermarkt, was 600,000 Euros ($870,000 Cdn). The left-footed native of Pontoise, France, holds both French and Senegalese citizenship, and was also sent on loan to Caen in 2019 and also played for Auxerre in 27 games between 2019 and 2022 with two goals.
“We are excited. He’s a player with lots of personality and great character,” PFC manager of soccer Jamar Dixon said in a statement. “[Ndom] has an immense amount of experience.”
The Tridents open training camp Feb. 19 at PISE in preparation for their CPL season opener April 13 at Starlight Stadium against the HFX Wanderers.
SOCCER NOTES: Andre-Pierre Gignac of Tigres UANL of Liga MX tied the CONCACAF Champions Cup opening-leg game against the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 on Wednesday night at Starlight Stadium on a free kick, not a penalty kick, as reported in Thursday’s edition.
