HFX Wanderers FC unveil training camp roster; Sanoh and Kinumbe released

2021-03-31

Marty Thompson, Digital Content Editor (@martythompson_)

HFX Wanderers FC confirmed its training camp roster on Wednesday ahead of the 2021 Canadian Premier League season.

A total of 28 players have been confirmed for pre-season which began on March 22 in Halifax, with the club’s 18 signed players joining its two CPL-U SPORTS Draft picks (attacker Stefan Karajovanovic of Carleton University and defender Kareem Sow from the University of Montreal).

Also, Cape Breton Capers defender Jamie Watson, and seven local prospects are on trial; Anthony Phelps, Brandon Phelps, Kaveh Wornell, Sulley Elomrani, Domenic Lacroce, and former Wanderers Scott Firth, and Luke Green.

The Wanderers also confirmed that defender Daniel Kinumbe and striker Ibra Sanoh will not be returning for the 2021 CPL season.

Sanoh, who joined the club in December 2019, scored once in five appearances at The Island Games – a penalty the Wanderers’ first-round draw with Pacific FC. The 26-year-old arrived in Halifax after scoring 70 goals in 101 matches with Prince Edward Island’s Holland College. Kinumbe, 21, made four appearances for the Wanderers in PEI.

“We’re delighted to have the players and coaching staff back together on the pitch,” Wanderers VP of football operations Matt Fegan said in a media release.

“The pandemic has introduced new challenges but we’ve worked diligently to abide by the provincial and federal requirements, with player and public safety always top of mind, to ensure everyone arriving from outside the region completed their mandated quarantines and completed negative COVID tests before joining the group on the pitch. Now we get to focus on the hard work getting ready for our season.”

Of the 18 signed players, 13 are returning members of the 2020 squad that made the CPL Final: Christian Oxner, Mateo Restrepo, Jems Geffrard, Jake Ruby, Peter Schaale, Eriks Santos, Omar Kreim, Andre Rampersad, Cory Bent, Alessandro Riggi, Akeem Garcia, Alex Marshall, and João Morelli.

They are joined by new signings Pierre Lamothe, Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, Samuel Salter, Kieran Baskett and Morey Doner.

CPL-U SPORTS Draft selections Sow and Karajovanovic automatically earned training camp invites while Cape Breton defender Watson – a former professional with Scottish club Raith Rovers – joins camp with a similar opportunity to earn a CPL-U SPORTS development contract and a spot on the 2021 Wanderers roster.

The seven trialists, meanwhile, are players the club is monitoring for its under-23 program and are invited for a chance to own a first-team contract of their own.