Eddies Add Mamadi Camara To Attack

Former Halifax Wanderers striker Mamadi Camara has landed with FC Edmonton.

The 26-year-old forward made ten appearances for the Halifax Wanderers last season, arriving as a late-season reinforcement and scoring a single goal against York United.

While the Wanderers had a club option for 2022, the striker found himself released at the end of the season and will now rejoin Alan Koch at FC Edmonton. The Guinea-born attacker had played under him in his Simon Fraser University days, where he bagged a healthy return of 29 goals in 69 appearances.

Camara had previously spent time with PLSQ sides Celtix Du Haut-Richelieu, CS St-Hubert, and CS Longueuil, and had once trialed with Whitecaps FC 2 before landing out west with the TSS Rovers and the Calgary Foothills.

Camara had impressed at an MLS Combine invitation in 2019 that saw him selected 46th overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, with his pick from the San Jose Earthquakes making him the first PLSQ athlete to be selected in the draft itself.

However, he ultimately joined USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks ahead of the 2020 USL season, scoring his first professional goal against El Paso Locomotive and making fourteen league appearances before returning to Canada.

While things didn’t quite work out for him on a short-term deal out east, he lands with FC Edmonton as a player with a decently high ceiling – and one who Koch knows well.

Mamadi is an intelligent, hard-working and versatile player. We look forward to integrating him into our system of play and allowing him to flourish in this environment. The opportunity is there for Mamadi to show that he can be an impactful player in the league. Having coached him before I know that the potential to break through is there, now it is up to us together to kick on to higher levels.

Alan Koch

Camara becomes the second brand new face to ink a deal with an FC Edmonton side in the midst of a tremendously difficult offseason, with former Valour forward Masta Kacher signing last week.

Breakthrough season or not, the club knows that Easton Ongaro has left big shoes to fill following his departure to the Romanian top flight. It’ll be interesting to see how the completely restructured attack comes together.

FC Edmonton has also secured three York United players on intra-league loans, with the only returning athletes from the 2021 CPL season being academy kids Darlington Murasiranwa and T-Boye Fayia.

The Eddies – who are still looking for a new club owner – will kick off an underdog season on April 10 with Valour FC stepping in to Clarke Stadium.

It is expected that Camara has signed on a one-year deal with the Alberta-based side.