Rumour: Ntignee Set For FC Annecy?

Top-of-the-table Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC have quite a reputation for developing talent, but that might mean the midseason departure of another rising star.

Rumours have sprung up that 21-year-old Goteh Ntignee has been targeted by Ligue 2 side FC Annecy, who are adding several new faces in a bid to push themselves up the rankings in France’s second tier.

The Canadian-Nigerian winger has had a breakout season at Spruce Meadows, making eighteen appearances for Cavalry and contributing two goals and three assists before disappearing from the club’s matchday roster in mid-August.

The Coaldale, Alberta-raised winger has proven to be highly technical for his age with an explosive pace, potentially leading him to a similar transfer to what we saw Diyaeddine Abzi embark on last year.

Ntignee began his career with East Side Memorial FC before progressing upwards to the Pacific Elite Soccer Institute under former Calgary Mustangs head coach Thomas Niendorf.

He then developed with now-League1 BC side Victoria Highlanders before embarking stint in Europe with German lower division sides FC Lokomotiv Leipzig and FC Grimma.

Cavalry boss Tommy Wheeldon Jr brought him into his CPL side almost exactly one year ago, having kept an eye on him since his days in Calgary’s youth soccer scene.

He had attended both a Canada U-15 and Nigeria U-17 camps growing up, thought the 20-year-old seems to be outside of national team radars at present.

Last season saw Cavalry endure high-profile mid-season departures in Aribim Pepple (to Luton Town) and Victor Loturi (to Ross County), and now Ntignee looks likely to follow in the footsteps of a highly industrious Cavalry development cycle.

Whether Goteh Ntignee ultimately leaves for European football remains to be seen, but it appears the interest in the young winger is solid.