December 15, 2022 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – Vancouver FC News Release
Langley, BC – Vancouver FC today selected the first and second overall picks as part of the 2023 Canadian Premier League-U SPORTS Draft presented by Degree.
The No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s draft was defender Anthony White, 19, who was selected by Vancouver out of the University of Toronto. White, from Port Moody, B.C., trained as a youth player in Croatia and Germany, and recently won the inaugural League1 BC Men’s Championship in 2022 with TSS Rovers out of Burnaby, B.C. He is a strong distributor of the ball and a technically sound centre back.
“It is unique to find left-footed central defenders in the soccer market,” said Afshin Ghotbi, Head Coach, Vancouver FC. “Anthony is a talented and intelligent young defender who has lofty goals for his soccer career. I was impressed by his ambition and look forward to getting to know him even better in future.”
With the second overall pick of the draft, Vancouver selected Ameer Kinani, 21, from Toronto Metropolitan University. The forward from Toronto, Ont. was one of the top scorers in League1 Ontario in 2022, putting away 17 goals in 21 games for ProStars FC and adding five assists. Kinani continued to score for TMU Bold, leading his team to the consolation final at the 2022 U SPORTS Men’s National Championship.
A clinical striker, Kinani has scored at every level he has played, including when he represented the under-19 Iraqi Men’s National Team and when he played lower division soccer in Spain.
“Ameer is always dangerous in front of goal,” said Ghotbi. “With and without the ball, he is committed to running behind back lines and creating havoc with his pace. Ameer boasts a natural nose for the goal, and has the instincts needed to be in the right positions in the right moments.”
White and Kinani may now be invited to Vancouver’s pre-season training, where they can compete for a roster spot for the 2023 CPL season.
The CPL-U SPORTS draft plays a key role in the player development pathway in Canada, serving as a critical link between the Canadian university and professional games since its inaugural iteration in 2018. The draft provides a unique opportunity for student athletes to earn professional experience while maintaining their eligibility to return to U SPORTS competition.
Stay tuned to canpl.ca/vancouverfc and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and updates.
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