The Halifax Wanderers Football Club is thrilled to announce the signing of Canadian midfielder Mohamed Omar. He joins the Wanderers on a two year deal, including a Club option for 2023.
Omar, 22, recently completed a stellar college career at Notre Dame where he captained his team to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Turning heads with his performances, Omar was highly sought after, eventually selected in the first round of the 2022 MLS Superdraft pick by Colorado Rapids. After impressing on trials, some squad build limitations meant the Rapids were unable to offer a contract for 2022, giving Omar the chance to consider a range of alternative offers.
With the 23rd pick in the 2022 MLS #SuperDraft, @ColoradoRapids select midfielder Mohamed Omar out of @NDMenSoccer. pic.twitter.com/WCmmggKibl
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 11, 2022
“We’re delighted to secure Mohamed’s commitment to our club,” says Sporting Director Matt Fegan. “We’ve been tracking Mohamed for a long time, so when we became aware of his availability last week, we jumped at the chance to convince him Halifax was the right next step for his career. In our conversations, he showed a maturity beyond his years and you can see on the pitch he is a natural leader – a characteristic we look for in anyone we attract to our club.”
Omar, originally from Toronto, ON, spent development years with Toronto FC and the Canadian U20 national team. He studied at Berkshire College before four years at Notre Dame. In 2021, he played over 1700 minutes, contributing 4 goals and an assist in a 14-5-5 team record that included beating Duke 2-0 in the ACC Championship Final.
“What we love about Mohamed is his ability on the ball, his tenacity and leadership qualities,” explained Head Coach Stephen Hart. “In addition, he has versatility that will mean he can contribute in a variety of ways in our lineup. He can play as a holding midfielder or look to drive forward. Plus he is blessed with height and has experience as a natural ball-playing Centre Back.”
For Omar, the opportunity to begin his professional career in Halifax is one he felt was the right fit.
“It’s a dream come true to be starting my professional career in Halifax and the CPL. I’m excited to get to Halifax, meet everyone at the club, and I look forward to playing in front of our wonderful fans!”
Fegan says Omar’s signature is another signal of intent from the Wanderers.
“Our work this off-season has shown we can continue to attract high quality Canadian talent to our club and to the CPL. Make no mistake, a player of Mohamed’s talent had options in USL, MLS and elsewhere.
“Our conversations were open and honest. He heard about our project, the environment at the stadium and what we’re building to compete for titles. We truly believe we’re the right fit to launch his professional career and we’ll support him in his continued development.”
