New-look Eddies sign first two players
Things are starting to come together for FC Edmonton as they continue toward the inaugural Canadian Premier League season.
On Thursday, the professional soccer club announced the signing of its first two players, inking local products Allan Zebie and Randy Edwini-Bonsu.
Zebie was with FC Edmonton when they were still part of the North American Soccer League, while Edwini-Bonsu joins the club from the German second division.
“We know what we get with Allan. He’s been part of the furniture at this club for a long time,” said FC Edmonton head coach Jeff Paulus. “You get consistency and honesty in a player. He just does everything well, and he can play several positions, so he’s an asset to us.”
Born in France, Zebie, 25, moved to Edmonton at age
15. He graduated from the FC Edmonton academy and joined the professional team in 2015. In three seasons, the versatile midfielder played in 58 games for FC Edmonton in the NASL and Canadian Championship.
“I haven’t played for a year, the club has been gone for a year, so I’m just happy and excited to play again,” Zebie said “I think we’re going to be ahead of most clubs because we’ve been there since 2010, and most clubs are just starting now. I think it’s a good thing, for sure, and hopefully that can help us win a championship a lot faster.”
Up until now, the CPL had been essentially a concept, but with the signing of players around the league, the national circuit is beginning to take shape. All seven clubs announced player signings Thursday, with more on the way.
“This is nice, especially for me, because I’ve been behind a desk for a long time,” Paulus said. “I’ve been travelling the country for player trials and whatnot, but for the most part, I’ve been behind the desk trying to rebuild a program.
“Now I get to actually turn it over, and it doesn’t have to be me in front of the camera, it can actually be the players. Now that we have two on board, and two very good ones, we’re well into our roster building. I would say we’re almost done as far as commitments that are out there. We’re in a good position at the moment.”
Paulus hopes to have the majority of his roster in place by the end of December, leaving a few spots open for training camp in March. He believes Zebie and Edwini-Bonsu are a good foundation for the club, which should have a leg up on the rest of the teams in the league as an established franchise.
“Randy is a player that I wanted because he fits my mould as a player,” Paulus said. “The style of play that I want here is to be an attacking team, and he certainly can do that. He’s blessed with incredible pace and he’ll back up defences by himself, just because of the threat to get in behind. He’s also very creative with the ball. I’m looking for him to provide offence for us. With his experience in Germany, I’m hoping he can provide leadership for these young kids that we have.”
Edwini-Bonsu, 28, was born in Ghana, but moved to Edmonton as a child. He grew up playing his minor soccer in the city before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program in 2008. He played with the Whitecaps for two seasons, scoring two goals in 32 appearances before they became an MLS club. EdwiniBonsu then went to Europe, where he has played for the past seven years.
“I am excited to be here,” he said. “This is a great thing for the city and the league. It’s a wellorganized league and I’m excited to be home.”
Paulus is hoping Edwini-Bonsu becomes part of a strong core of local players. Paulus is recruiting and hopes to sign a number of players who have come through the FC Edmonton academy.
“We want to win championships here and we want to put a trophy up in our case,” Paulus said. “That’s a priority. We are going to be heavily influenced by players from Edmonton, and we’re doing that because, first and formally, we think they can win.”